From left: Katie Spencer, Walter Griffith, Mayor Kevin Coughlin, chef Chad Gleso, marketing director Eric Grzyboski, operations manager Sheila Boanno, owner Rob Friedman, lead server Heather Mitchneck, lead bartender Becky Finkbiner, John Telencho, Ahmad Ali, and Michael Marcella gather for Wednesday’s ribbon-cutting at the newly re-branded Salt and Pepper Pub in Nanticoke.
Margaret Roarty | Times Leader
NANTICOKE — The former Grico’s South officially reopened Wednesday as the Salt and Pepper Pub. Workers outside finished putting up the new decals in the windows just in time for the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
“We did an awful lot in a short period of time,” said owner Rob Friedman, who announced just two weeks ago that the restaurant would undergo a rebranding.
The new menu is curated by chef Chad Gelso, executive chef of Bank+Vine. The menu includes casual eats like pierogies, BBQ pizza, and halushki.
“This is exciting because all of the other restaurants are fine dining,” said Friedman. “We’re going with a totally new concept here that we think will do really well here in Nanticoke.”
The Friedman Hospitality Group also owns the Beaumont Inn, Dallas; Bank & Vine, Wilkes-Barre; Kevin’s, Kingston; Fire & Ice, Trucksville; Rikasa, Pittston; Grico’s Exeter; Cork, Wilkes-Barre; and The Greens at the Irem Country Club.
Kathryn Rollison, who manages the pub’s social media profiles along with Friedman Hospitality Group’s Director of Marketing, Erin Grzyboski, said that people on social media have been ‘really responsive’ to the new menu.
For Nanticoke Mayor Kevin Coughlin, he thinks the ‘more casual’ menu will help draw in a younger crowd.
While Friedman was quick to note that the pub is really ‘for all ages,’ he believes the more relaxed and casual atmosphere is more of what the residents in the area are used to.
“We have a lot of similar products that a lot of other pubs and taverns have, but I think the quality of the food in this place will be superior,” said Friedman.
