McCleery shooting for July restaurant opening
By Suzanne Werre
Editor
Nathan McCleery has some big goals for the restaurant he and his dad and their crew are building that looks right out on Lake Sakakawea.
"I want to do it all," he said. "That’s the whole point of this whole thing . . . to get people to come here."
McCleery and his dad Mike and mom Deb already own and operate Tailrace Adventures in Pick City, which rents boats and kayaks as well as motel rooms; and Sakakawea Sunset Lodge which is just across the dam in Riverdale. The Sunset Lodge, which has 13 rooms, has been up and running for about three years, so this fall the McCleerys started on their next venture – building a restaurant next to the hotel that overlooks beautiful Lake Sakakawea.
While construction on the restaurant is coming along nicely, the one thing McCleery hasn’t been able to settle on is a name of the restaurant, which will have occupancy of about 100.
He considered Manhaven for awhile, naming it after a nearby town, but he figures too many people will think it’s restaurant catering just to men. Right now, he’s contemplating the name "Lunkers," which is another name for a whopper of a fish, but he’s going to ask for help coming up with a name by using Facebook, asking for suggestions.
Rumors that it is going to be a "high-end" restaurant aren’t quite true, said McCleery.
