New On Tap Owner Focusing on Improving Service, Food (Wings Staying the Same)
A few things will change at On Tap now that two Stow residents are running the restaurant, but many of the things patrons love will remain the same.
Don't worry ... the new owners aren't changing the wings or sauces at On Tap. In fact, plans are now in the works to bottle and sell the sauces.
But, some changes have already taken place at the 10,000-square-foot restaurant and bar.
Mike Simms, 48, and his wife Diane have owned the restaurant since Feb. 13 and since then the focus has been on making the service better and enhancing the quality and types of food offered.
"We're trying to do some upgrading with the food," said Simms, a Stow-Munroe Falls High School graduate. "We're going to try some new wing sauces, new pizzas and sandwiches ... stuff like that."
But more importantly than a few new menu items, Simms said patrons will notice a difference in service.
"I don't think it was always very attentive," he said. "My whole philosophy is that if you treat the employees well and take care of the staff [of about 45-50], they will take care of the customers the same way."
Simms also said he leads by example. Although his title may be owner, you'll see him busing tables, greeting patrons and cooking food.
"I think people will think, 'That guy is doing whatever it takes to make this place busy and successful," he said.
Before taking ownership of On Tap, Simms was a controller for the North Hampton Restaurant Group that oversaw the operations at the restaurant. And, while in college at the University of Akron, Simms was involved in the food business.
"I worked my way through college at A & W," he said. "When I was just out of college a friend and I talked about owning a place, but it never happened ... owning this restaurant has been a dream come true for me."
Besides some food changes, better service and a new owner, it's still business as usual at On Tap.
The restaurant still boasts happy hours, Karaoke nights, a patio with a fire pit, sandpit with cornhole boards and lunch specials. Oh, and don't forget about the free popcorn — that's sticking around too.
"It's still going to feel the same for the regulars who have been coming here for years," said Simms. "It's the place where fun times happen."
For more information, visit the restaurant's Facebook page.
In This article
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On Tap
4396 Kent Rd, Stow, OH -
Stow-Munroe Falls High School
3227 Graham Rd, Stow, OH
Debbie S.
12:42 pm on Sunday, May 20, 2012
We haven't been there for years because both the food and the service were sub-par several times when we went long ago. Sounds like it might soon be time to give it a try again.
Becky Slam
5:19 pm on Sunday, May 20, 2012
Ditto to what Debbie said. I'll support a Stow business if the food is good. Long ago they had different hamburger combos that, if you tried to change one item for another, you'd be charged extra. People are picky about their burger toppings, IMO. Flexibility is key for me. Also fresh, hot fries and friendly service help. Good luck, Mike and Diane.
Troy McClure
4:44 pm on Sunday, May 20, 2012
Haven't been there in years, either.
I'll give it a try with a new owner, and wish him luck!
joe ponikarovsky
7:28 am on Monday, May 21, 2012
i like on tap. never had bad service that i can recall. my number one gripe about them is that they only have one or two items on the menu that vegetarians can eat. they have a lot of burger combos; if they'd just get a veggie pattie in and allow substitutions for it (like rockne's, fridays, red robin, chilis, etc, etc...), i'd go there a lot more often.
Greg Chapman
8:12 am on Monday, May 21, 2012
Hey Joe, Just wanted to let you know that they do now have a Veggie burger that can be used in place of any of the regular burgers on the menu. My sister says it's really good.
joe ponikarovsky
9:49 am on Monday, May 21, 2012
greg: oh wow! that sounds great! i haven't been there for a couple of months or so, so i'm out of the loop! thanks for relaying the info, i'll definitely check it out soon.
David
4:34 pm on Monday, May 21, 2012
I've always beena fan of the bar and patio, not so much the food. Wifey won't go becasue she didn't like the food. But the bar staff was always friendly and attentive. I had the pleasure of getting to know Mike in a bowling league afew years back and knew he was in the group, but didn't know he bought the place. He's a great guy and if anyone can make the place work, it will be hi.
joe ponikarovsky
8:10 am on Friday, June 15, 2012
wanted to leave a quick review of the "new" on tap after having visited last night.
well, the last thing i would call the staff is "attentive," let's say that. the hostess flat out texted while we were trying to talk to her, didn't inform us that we could sit at the bar outside, then when we asked "can we have that table that just opened up outside?" she handed us menus and said "yea, here, you can clean it off." ummm...do i work here or do you?
the waitress we had was fine, nice and did a good job. it was a *little* long between visits and getting drinks, etc, but not terrible.
food-wise, the veggie burger was indeed pretty fantastic and i loved my buffalo burger. what i didn't love was that they left off the cheese, blue cheese dressing and jalapenos from both mine and my wife's. that's half the sandwich wrong on two orders! and it's a "we recommend" signature burger. yikes! but the waitress took care of it quickly and apologized. also, the breaded broccoli was an excellent appetizer.
so...i liked the food and that's why i'll go back. the staff's not the worst, but they still have a LONG way to go to be as "attentive" as the new owner claims they should be.
Amanda Harnocz
8:12 am on Friday, June 15, 2012
Thanks for the feedback Joe.
Reviews can also always be left on any business in the city. You can find all of them here: http://stow.patch.com/directory
joe ponikarovsky
8:18 am on Friday, June 15, 2012
thanks amanda. i didn't really want to do a full review, just leave a few thoughts. especially since it mainly relates to the service mentioned in this article as well as the veggie burgers i brought up in the comments. but i guess it could have been left in either place.
Michael Simms
11:14 am on Friday, June 15, 2012
Joe,
Being the new owner of On Tap, It is my goal to provide the attentive service and good food That our patrons deserve. We continue to strive to achieve those goals and through customer feedback like yours I am able to address our weaknesses.
To be "greeted" in the manner you were is unacceptable and will be addressed immediately. It is my belief that the way a customer is greeted will set the tone for the rest of their visit. I am glad that the food was good and that the server fixed the issues you had with your food in a timely manner.
As for our service, I agree we are not where I want to be when attending to customers but we have made strides in that direction and will continue to work to achieve our goals of customer satisfaction.
Upon your next visit please ask for me, as i would like to talk to you in person.
Thanks for your feedback and your patronage
Mike Simms
Troy McClure
9:33 am on Saturday, June 16, 2012
We were there a couple of nights ago and were very happy with everything.
We ordered the chips and cheese and I liked the fact they were willing to give you some extra cheese if you ran out.
I've NEVER experienced that anywhere (unless they charged you lol).
We will definitely be back.