MEMBER PROFILE - The Olympic Tavern

CHANGING WITH THE TIMES:

The Olympic Tavern

By Paul Anthony Arco

The Olympic Tavern has been a longtime mainstay on Rockford’s northwest side. For the past 77 years, it’s the place to go for a quick beer after work, a hangout for the softball team on the patio or to celebrate a special event with family and friends.

It’s still all those things, but The Olympic Tavern, like so many other restaurants, has had to reinvent itself after learning to do business during a global pandemic.

“One good thing that came out of COVID was the amount of teamwork our staff showed every day,” said general manager Zak Rotello. “We’ve had staff come out from the back of the restaurant to help run food or silverware out. And we’ve received so much love from our loyal customer base who didn’t want to see us go away.”

The Olympic Tavern is no stranger to change over the past seven decades. The family-owned restaurant was founded by Rotello’s grandfather, Anthony, a former U.S. Marine, whose goal was to open a small place where factory workers could get a burger on the corner of Main and Fulton. Zak Rotello’s father, Tom, eventually took over and still runs the day-to-day operations along with his son. Zak began working at the restaurant full-time after college in 2003, and later moved to Portland, Ore., to work for a brewery for two years before returning home in early 2009.

“I’m happy to manage a fun beer bar in Rockford,” he said. “Besides I’m the only one crazy enough in my family to do this. It can be stressful, but I enjoy the people I work with. They’re like an extension of my family.”

New World in Restaurant Business

The Olympic Tavern menu still boasts a strong, albeit slimmed down, menu these days that includes steaks, burgers, pizzas and pastas. Oysters and mussels are also popular, and Rotello says the restaurant goes through 30 pounds of salmon a week.

“We had to get it down to the greatest hits,” he said. “We tightened our options and focused on what we do better than the guy down the street. Fortunately, consumers are flexible.”

Rotello also trimmed down the craft beers list that includes a variety of choices in flavor, color, richness and alcohol content. Rotello and staff have been busy experimenting with their drink menu; for example, they’ve added cocktails and wines on tap. “The younger generation are drinking more seltzers than beer,” he said. “As we’re learning more, we’re building a better wine program.”

Rotello is looking forward to bringing back customer favorites this summer such as beer and wine tastings, Pints for Pups, a time when dogs are welcomed on the deck every Monday, and Tour De North End, a bike fest set for Sept. 24. Rotello is also exploring off-site catering.

Recently, Rotello teamed up with other local restaurant owners to record a monthly podcast. The roundtable format allows participants to bounce ideas off each other regarding issues of staffing, inventory and navigating a new world in the restaurant business. “Things are getting better, but volume still isn’t where it needs to be,” he said. “Late night is still lagging but seems to be coming back a little better every week.”

Regardless of the many challenges, Rotello says The Olympic Tavern is in it for the long run. “The menu might change, the faces might change, but we’re not going anywhere.”

The Olympic Tavern is open Mon.- Tues., 4 to 9 p.m.; Wed.-Thurs. 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Fri. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sat. noon to 10 p.m.; closed on Sundays.

THE OLYMPIC TAVERN - Owner: Tom Rotello 2327 N. Main St. 815-962-8758 www.theolympictavern.com