Rookies opens

Carri Sailor’s dream job started today.
Sailor, and husband Mike, are the proprietors at Rookies Sports Bar & Grill, which opened its doors this morning at 105 E. Jackson Ave.
The venue is billed as a place for folks young and old, Carri said.
“We want to establish a family-friendly atmosphere, where people can come have fun, watch the game, and maybe have a beer if they want,” she said.
The dream has been a long time coming. Almost 11 months, to be exact.
That’s when Carri’s parents, Iolans Roger and Debbi Campbell, bought the former 5 O’clock Somewhere Tavern, then proceeded to fully remodel the building from top to bottom.
“They completely gutted it and started from scratch,” Carri said.
In addition to the new laminate walls, vinyl flooring and all-new furnishings, the Campbells and Sailors designed and built a full-service kitchen.
The Sailors then hired Mike DePaola to serve up the meals, featuring a wide selections of sandwiches, hamburgers, pizzas and appetizers. A full-selection kids menu also is available.
DePaola studied at Le Cordon Bleu in Dallas.
“We’re very excited about bringing in his recipes,” Carri said. “He’s got some amazing food.”
A crew of about 20 serves crowds indoors, as well as Rookies’ outdoor patio. Eventually, the plan is to add a television or two to the patio, “to give folks outdoors the full experience, too.”
Helping the Sailors are Carri’s parents, Roger and Debbi.
“My mom works here,” Carri said. “My sisters will help out on weekends, and my dad will be here when he can. It truly is a family business.”

ROOKIES opens at 11 a.m. each day. The restaurant will close at 9 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday, “but if people are still watching the game, we’ll keep the bar open,” Carri said. “We won’t chase anybody out.”
The bar will remain open until 2 a.m. Thursday through Saturday.
The Sailors also deliver to businesses around the square during lunch.
“We understand those places are busy, and they can’t get away,” she said.
They can be reached at 355-5322. Takeout menus should be printed up this week.

THERE WILL BE plenty of offerings for sports fans as well, with Rookies’ seven high-definition televisions scattered strategically throughout the restaurant.
“We have the NFL Sunday Ticket, so we can show every game under the moon,” Carri said.
She’ll also offer up drink specials during Royals and Chiefs games.
Coincidentally, Rookies’ opening night will have the added attraction of the Kansas City Chiefs playing at Green Bay on Monday Night Football, while the Royals will be in Chicago to take on the Cubs.

CARRI, who has worked in the restaurant business the past 20 years, recounted a recent conversation with her husband, which led to the idea behind Rookies.
“He mentioned that he wanted to go the bar, have a beer and watch the game,” she recalled. “That’s when I pointed out he couldn’t do that here. That’s when we knew what Iola needed, what the community was missing.”