ROEBLING – The transfor
mation of a corner pub from an
empty, dilapidated building into a
brightly painted family restaurant
could be the beginning of a lot of
changes in Roebling, said restau
rant owners and township officials.
By:Vanessa S. Holt
Verann’s Restaurant and Wes
ley’s Pub, owned and operated by
Charles and Verann Wesley of
Cinnaminson, is open for business
and attracting a steady stream of
lunch and dinner patrons after a
year of construction and planning.
Last July, when the Township
Council approved the transfer of a
liquor license to the establishment,
Mayor Michael Muchowski told
the Wesleys the restaurant could
be a "catalyst" for the area, where
a planned light rail station and on
going redevelopment of the nearby
Roebling Steel Mill site are ex
pected to revitalize the local econ
omy.
Council President Bruce Gar
ganio had described the project as
"the center point of the start of re
development," and although the
change in the area is only just be
ginning, the Wesleys said they are
pleased with how quickly business
is already picking up.
At the corner of Hornberger
and Alden avenues, formerly the
site of Kevin’s Korner pub, the
building had been closed for two
years when the Wesleys began
work on renovations last year. The
bright new signs for Verann’s Res
taurant and Wesley’s Pub are a
marked contrast with abandoned
storefronts in the area, but Ms.
Wesley said she believes more
businesses will come to Roebling
as redevelopment progresses.
Mr. Wesley, who works in
construction, did much of the work
on the building himself. He also
owns Picture Perfect flooring com
pany based in Cinnaminson.
The restaurant and pub build
ing they purchased last year was
dark, dingy and dirty when they
began the process of stripping and
restaining the bar, sanding the
floors, installing a tin ceiling and
giving fresh coats of paint to the
place inside and out, said Ms.
Wesley.
"It all fell into place," she said.
Verann’s Restaurant offers
American cuisine including sea
food, chicken, steaks, fresh soups
and a children’s menu. The restau
rant portion of the building, with
wooden tables and chairs, dark
green painted walls and framed
artwork, is separate but connected
to the adjoining pub.
"The first week has been very
busy," said Mr. Wesley last week.
"People even came in through the
pouring rain."
The mayor, councilmen and
county freeholder Phil Haines at
tended the ribbon-cutting ceremo
ny on March 10.
Ms. Wesley said she believed
the restaurant provides a "casual
dining atmosphere" that is friendly
to families. The Wesleys have two
daughters, Nuran, 13, and Rox
anne, 7 months, and said they
wanted to provide area families
with a place they felt they could
bring their children.
The kid’s menu offers meals
including items like grilled cheese
sandwiches, chicken fingers and
pasta.
The regular menu includes
lunch specials such as a Maryland
crab cake sandwich, grilled Reu
ben, club sandwiches, hot roast
beef or pork au jus, and classic
items like hamburgers, grilled
chicken sandwiches, and steak
sandwiches.
The dinner menu includes sev
eral varieties of steak, chicken and
seafood dishes and will grow and
expand as the new restaurant gets
off the ground, said the Wesleys.
Blue-claw crabs and additional
seafood items will be added in the
spring, said Mr. Wesley.
The restaurant has about 15
employees and plans to broaden its
staff and hire local students during
the summer.
Patrons dining during the mid
afternoon last Thursday stopped to
personally thank Mr. and Mrs.
Wesley as they came and went.
In its first week, the restaurant
already seemed to have its share of
regular customers.
Verann’s Restaurant and Wes
ley’s Pub is open from 10 a.m. to 2
p.m. from Monday to Saturday and
from noon to midnight on Sunday.
Credit cards will be accepted at
the restaurant soon, said the own
ers.
The restaurant and pub can be
reached at (609) 499-8700.