All Hands on Deck at Back Roads Bar & Grill

It took some serious work to get Back Roads Bar & Grill up and running.

Area residents Seth Bram, Ryan Norton and Russ Bohach first came together with the idea of opening up a restaurant early last year. They considered a few options but finally settled on the building at 112 E Main St. in Aredale. 

The only problem: it needed a lot of work. But they were willing to roll up their sleeves and put in the time and labor. So they pooled together their money and bought the place, then spending the next three months bringing it back to life, with help from their wives. They worked on everything from the utilities to the coolers, said Seth. 

“This place needed a lot of TLC,” said Seth. “But we made it happen.” 

After months of preparation, they finally opened their restaurant last Thanksgiving eve. And business has been booming ever since. 

Seth said that when Russ had to step away from the business, their good friend, Tony Knoll, stepped in to help them run things. Each person helps with different areas of the business, he explained. Seth helps with beverage ordering, while Tony handles the food and Ryan is the handyman, fixing shelves and whatever else needs attention. Seth’s wife, Kelsey, and Tony’s wife, Sarah, also help with training and bookkeeping. (Seth said the wives are a huge help with the behind-the-scenes work.) Even before Tony became involved as an owner of the business, he helped out with plumbing and electrical. 

“We each do our fair share of the workload, which is pretty hefty,” Seth said. “It’s a lot, especially when we’re all full-time employees for other companies. Ryan runs Norton Tree Service. Tony is full-time with Butler County. And then I work as a lineman for Mid-American Energy in Hampton.” 

Seth said they couldn’t pull off the operations without their trusty crew of cooks, bartenders and waitresses, but that the place is still a work in progress. 

“Four months into it, we’re still teaching and training and learning,” Seth said. “And there’s still a list of things that we need to get done around here. A bunch of outdoors things and projects around the building that need to get fine-tuned, including the plumbing, which was installed years ago. It works for now, but should be improved.” 

One of their bartenders, Hampton resident Kolette Janssen, said she genuinely loves working at Back Roads. 

“I love having Back Roads so close to home and the food is great and the atmosphere is even better,” she said. “I really like working there, because I get to see so many people and hear about all the places they travel to and from and of course our regulars who become like family.”

The restaurant is open 4 to 10 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, 4 to 2 a.m. on Friday, 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Saturday and 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday. They’re closed on Monday and Tuesday. The menu features a few options for breakfast, like a breakfast sandwich and an eggs, meat and toast platter; popular lunch and dinner sandwiches, including a south west burger and a pizza burger; appetizers, such as Philly nachos and gizzards; and more. 

Seth said they pride themselves on being able to offer quality food at affordable prices, especially when prices have skyrocketed for most everything else. One of their most popular dishes: their broasted chicken, which Seth highly recommends. 

When asked why they chose Aredale, Seth said: “We saw an opportunity and this seemed like a missing link in this area. We get people from all over that come here. Rockwell. Sheffield. Hampton. Hansell. Dougherty. Allison. Greene. Dumont. Packard. All of the little towns. They come here and it’s a fun meeting spot for them.” 

Seth said opening this restaurant was, without a doubt, a huge investment, but one that is now paying off. 

“We haven’t slowed down since we opened,” he said. “I’m excited to see what the future holds for us.”