New restaurant hopes to be the right place for the times

At a time when parents are working harder than ever to pay bills — if they're lucky enough to be working at all — the managers of a new family-friendly restaurant located on Rte. 3 think their business is perfectly situated to provide an affordable yet enjoyable family meal.

The Garden Oasis Family Restaurant has been open for a few weeks and this Saturday the eatery will host its grand opening celebration.

General manager Don Hudon said the owner of the restaurant, Mark Young of Massachusetts, was the proprietor of the property in 2005 when it was a strip mall that housed a book store, restaurant, gym and lamp store that burned to the ground.

"He just didn't know what to build here," Hudon said about the years between then an now. When the global recession began to take hold, the idea started to take shape for an inexpensive place for a family to enjoy a meal together.

The Garden Oasis menu features sandwiches, wraps and burgers ranging from $6 to $9, and many dinner entrees, including fried shrimp or haddock, available for less than $11.

To further stretch the customer's dollar, customers place their order at the front desk and then sit in the dining area, where food runners will bring their meal. Hudon said, "We did this so we could save the customer money without having the obligation for tipping." Blake's ice cream, in 18 different flavors, is available from the ice cream counter, where customers can also order sundaes, and the restaurant has a license to sell beer and wine.

Although the menu was created with a careful eye on price, Hudon and kitchen manager Nick Moorhead think the quality of food won't suffer for it. All their food is cooked to order, and the portion sizes are designed to have customers leaving feeling full.

Hudon and Moorhead have many years of experience working in Lakes Region restaurants. Hudon said, "we know the only way a place stays in business is if they listen to customers." He said customers should feel free to ask for something even if it isn't on the menu.

"If we have the ingredients, we'll do it," said Moorhead, who added that his kitchen staff has lots of experience, including two who have culinary degrees.

"It's home-style food. It's not fast food, it's food done fast," said Hudon. He described the food and dining experience as "better than MacDonald's, not as expensive as Common Man."

The dining environment was created to be unlike any other in the area. A designer from Chicago was hired to draw up the place, including a patio dining area. They want customers to eat and relax and they've included free wi-fi for those who want to get some work done while they're there. A drive-through window is also open for take-out customers.

The Garden Oasis is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The grand opening will feature a bouncy house and a dunk tank. Mix 94.1 FM will broadcast from the restaurant from 4 to 7 p.m., after which the band Fireside will play classic rock hits and original songs. Also at the event, the restaurant will raffle off a bicycle, with proceeds going to a local youth assistance organization.

Garden Oasis is located at 223 Daniel Webster Highway (Route 3). More information can be found at www.gardenoasisfamilyrestaurant.com or by calling 527-8143.