Willow's Bistro is moving into the former Opie's Southbound Grille space on Liberty Street.
"It's going to be a little bit more creative than the normal, but people are going to be comfortable approaching it," co-owner Will Kingery said of the restaurant's menu. "They are not going to feel intimidated by food."
That includes such items as Grilled Tuna Salad with Roasted Mango and Red Curry Vinaigrette.
Willow's will open June 7 at 300 S. Liberty St., Suite 125, near the Children's Museum of Winston-Salem. The last restaurant to occupy the space was Winston's Eatery.
Kingery owns the restaurant with his business partner, Norb Cooper Jr. Kingery has 15 years' and Cooper has 28 years' experience in the restaurant industry. Kingery most recently was an executive chef for 6th and Vine and NOMA. Cooper is the owner of Town Centre Diner in Wallburg.
Kingery said that while Willow's Bistro is a bit out of the way from the growing restaurant business along 4th and Trade streets, he believes his restaurant is in a good location -- a historic building with outdoor dining.
"We've got the Children's Museum here," he said. "We have a lot of people right here in our location for lunch."
He said that the restaurant will have to earn its reputation for dinner, but he and Copper have plans to attract customers.
For example, they will use a lot of products from local farmers, including Shore Farm's Organics in Yadkinville and fresh-caught fish from the coast.
"We want to do high-quality food and good service in a neat, cool, new atmosphere," Kingery said.
Other restaurant items include some vegetarian options such as Black Bean Cakes and Rustic Roasted Veggie Antipasta; a children's menu; Sunday brunch; and a variety of wines from local wineries to Australia.
The restaurant will also feature artwork by local artists from 5IVE & 40RTY gallery.
"We're going to rely mainly on word-of-mouth advertising," he said. "The proof is in the pudding -- the quality of the service and the quality of the food."
Jason Thiel, the president of the Downtown Winston-Salem Partnership, said he is impressed with the level of knowledge and thought that the owners of Willow's Bistro have put into their restaurant.
He said that the restaurant is going into a beautiful building and will be a nice attraction to some of the businesses and agencies in that area such as the Children's Museum.
"I'm sure their menu will draw from a wide audience," he said.
fdaniel@wsjournal.com
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