Shenanigans has new owners who are preparing to reopen the Sewanee restaurant in early February with a return to the fall 2010 menu.
“This is an ambitious opening date,” said Bill Elder, one of the two owners, “but we need to get the grill frying and the taps pouring again.”
Elder and longtime friend Nelson Byrd purchased the business on Jan. 10. They have begun some renovations in the space and are hiring new staff.
“We really wanted to reopen a place that was beloved to both of us,” Elder said.
Byrd is a Sewanee alumnus, and Elder grew up spending summers in the Monteagle Sunday School Assembly. Elder’s wife is a Sewanee grad.
“Our goal is to bring back Shenanigans, the way it once was. We want everyone to walk in and find it the same place it was in November of 2010. Same menu, same recipes, same smiles, and faces new and old,” Elder said.
The pair are running a crowd-sourced campaign at <indiegogo.com> to raise additional funds for some of the things that are not part of the overall business plan, including a renovated back room with expanded seating and a removable stage and sound system for the main room.
Byrd worked at Shenanigans when he was a Sewanee student and Elder describes him as a Hall of Fame cook, but neither are in the restaurant business now. Elder is the founder and songwriter/guitarist for the funk-soul band the Dynamites. Byrd is running his family’s farm.
“Any anxiety we had about buying Shenanigans was offset by our love for this beloved space and the important place it holds in the community,” Elder said.
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