New owners take over West End in Newcastle

Braden Schiller
NLJ Reporter
 
Zach Rohde is now the proud owner of his second business in Newcastle. Rohde, owner of 1st Call Locates in Newcastle purchased West End Bar and Grill on April 1. The West End is located at 3319 W.  Main St. in Newcastle.  
Compared with 1st Call Locates, this will be a new type of business for Rohde, who said he has worked in the restaurant business but is a first-time owner. 
Rohde purchased the West End with the idea that his office manager at 1st Call Locates, Cindy Davis, would manage the new restaurant. Rohde credits Davis’ involvement as one of the reasons for purchasing the West End.
 “Cindy said, “You buy a restaurant, and I will run it,” and I used to have a little bit of experience probably 15 or 16 years ago, I was line man in a restaurant,” Rohde said.
The West End has been in business for 34 years, although it has gone by various names during that time.
“It was West End Lounge and then West End Coffee and Grill. We renamed it to West End Bar and Grill,” Rohde said. 
A slight name change is not the only change that Rohde and Davis have already made in their brief time as owners.  
Rohde and Davis changed the hours of West End Bar and Grill to 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. Previously the establishment was not open nights or Sundays. After COVID-19 restrictions were lifted, Davis said, they also now offer a full salad bar. 
“We are talking about adding a beer garden out here, so that’ll probably be coming soon.,” Rohde said. 
While Rohde and Davis said that it has been hard work getting the West End Bar and Grill up and running, they have enjoyed the process.
“For me my favorite thing is customer service all day long. Being able to talk with different people, I just love that,” Davis said.
“For me the biggest thing, I guess, is just giving people another place to go at night and having a good steak in this town,” Rohde said.