Make room for Macstack, Merara

PORT CLINTON — For Julian Helsper, being in a restaurant just feels like home. "I've been working in the service industry since I was 15 years old," said Helsper, who's 34. "I've changed careers probably three or four times — and, every time, I end up back in a restaurant." Originally from North Carolina, Helsper moved to the Port Clinton area 11 years ago. He is a graduate of Purdue University and served in the National Guard. "I always wanted to open my own business," Helsper said. "So it became the logical step." In 2020, he opened JJ's Table and Bar at 6982 E. Harbor Road in Marblehead. Now the restauranteur has expanded to open The Macstack Tavern and the Merara Tiki Room at 4046 E. Harbor Road, next to Toft's Ice Cream Parlor and Bassett's Market, in Port Clinton. Macstack Tavern After JJ's had solidified its success, Helsper began to look for his next endeavor. "I wanted to do a different concept," Helsper said. As he was brainstorming, Waldo Peppers announced it would be closing its doors. "We spoke to the landlords and took over the lease and purchased all the inventory from Waldo Peppers and spent a good six months renovating and changing it," Helsper said. The Macstack Tavern opened in July 2023. The restaurant is open from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. The Macstack Tavern's menu focuses on bar comfort food, including a variety of sandwiches, macaroni and cheese dishes and sliders. "I think, in this area, that's what a lot of people want," Helsper said. "I talked to the team and said, 'What's everybody's favorite foods?' And basically made a menu around that." Merara Tiki Bar Choosing The MacStack Tavern's location wasn't just about the availability of properties. It also presented a unique opportunity. "We were specifically looking for a place we could do two concepts in one," Helsper said. "I wanted to open up a tiki cocktail bar." The location came with a room that included a bar. It was far from being ready for customers, but it was a start. "We spent a long time doing a lot of hand carvings in there and a lot of artwork. My wife (Sedi Helsper) did a lot of that herself," Helsper said. "We just took our time with that." The Merara Tiki Lounge opened in July. The bar is open from 4-9 p.m. on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. It is open from 4-10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and closed on Monday and Tuesday. The 21-and-up bar can be accessed through a door in The MacStack Tavern. In addition to the tiki-style carvings and art, the lounge has large leather chairs and a variety of colored lights. His team "took a ton of time looking at old classic tiki (bar) culture," Helsper said. "I like the environment and the artwork with it and made a tiki menu around that." The menu includes a variety of drinks with fun, music-inspired names, including the Cherry Cherry Lady and "Gangster's Paradise." There is also a selection of small plates people can order. "It's the fun bar. It's the bar I kind of wanted from the beginning," Helsper said. Success found during tough times It isn't an easy time to own a restaurant, considering both food costs and rent are high. But Helsper has made it work. He believes that restaurant success hinges on three factors. "Owner involvement is necessary," Helsper said. "Restaurants aren't a passive business. And unless you're there every day, you aren't going to do well." He also sees having reliable, welcoming staff as the key to retaining customers. "You have to stay fluid with menus," Helsper said. "Food costs aren't just high. They're volatile. You need to be ready to make changes if items aren't profitable anymore." Visit macstacktavern.com and meraratiki.com for more information. What's in a name? Regarding the names for both of these establishments: • The Macstack Tavern's name is a reference to the restaurant's menu. — The "mac" refers to the menu's wide variety of macaroni and cheese dishes. — The "stack" references their different sandwich offerings. • The Merara Tiki Lounge is a reference to the process of making many of the drinks it sells. "Merara is a play on words based on Demerara sugar, which is what rum is made from," Helsper said. "The 'Merara' sounding like 'Demerara.'"