A bite o' business

Three new eateries are joining downtown Mankato, all with an emphasis on food and aspirations to make the area known for something other than the easy availability of alcohol.

The three new restaurants — Rounders, Hazzard and Savoy — are touting their diverse menus and food specials.

“We want you to sit back, relax, enjoy your food,” says Willie Huebner, the manager of Rounders, which opened in January near the Mankato Place Mall. Large portions at a decent price are their focus.

Next door, the Southern-themed Hazzard restaurant will play up its food specials, including Military Mondays, where customers with military IDs receive 30 percent off their food bill, owner Brad Miller said. After more than a year of delays, Hazzard is slated to open April 16.

Down the block, Savoy manager Dave Füchs touts the restaurant’s 2-for-1 gyros from midnight to 2 a.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.

All three acknowledge the necessity of tapping into the market of thirsty young adults, and all have liquor licenses or plan to get them soon.

European touch

Savoy, located next to Pagliai’s Pizza on Front Street, opened April 3 with a limited menu. The restaurant’s name means “restoration” in French, referring to downtown rejuvenation.

The owners of the Nile Cafe, especially Dermi Jarso, are behind the restaurant, described as Mediterranean with a hint of Italian and Greek.

Their specialty is gyros (pronounced year-oh), which Füchs said would be “good bar grub” and fill the niche of the late-night grill. Hummus and Italian beef sandwiches are also expected to be favorites.

Savoy will also have hamburgers, though more out of necessity than a passion for the grill mainstay.

A plant-filled patio and “bier garden” is planned for Savoy’s rear.

Now, there are about six items on the menu, but more will be added in the coming days and weeks. Live entertainment is also planned.

Eight varieties of beer are on tap, and 35 more are bottled.

Southern comfort

Hazzard, next door to Rounders, has been in the works for more than 18 months, but is slated to open April 16. Brad Miller, a 2004 Minnesota State University graduate, is behind the restaurant, his first.

The bar features Southern decor — witness the railroad ties for footrests, “Daisy Duke” denim shorts and mounted animal heads — with some modern touches, including the granite countertops.

Southern food includes catfish fingers, fried bologna sandwiches and the Po’ Boy, a shrimp and beef hoagie.

The nightly specials are to be divided about evenly between drinks and food.

He’s also planning a special competition: The first person to pound down five pounds of fries and a three-pound burger gets to have the item named after him or her.

New sports bar

At first glance, Rounders looks like your typical sports bar with its abundance of wide-screen TVs and booth seating, but owner Eric Hayes says it’s not going to be stale.

Hayes, who also owns The Haze, said a new spring/summer food lineup is in the works, demonstrating a focus on menu variety and large portion sizes.

Barring special occasions, Hayes said there will be no drink specials.

They could rely more on drinks, given a liquor license that allows up to 80 percent of their sales to be from alcohol. Normally, no new bars downtown could go over 60 percent because of a moratorium on bar licenses. But Rounders acquired a bar license in a transfer from the former Inferno Tavern.

Hayes’ foray into the restaurant business has given him a new respect for the industry.

“The food business is a very, very tough business,” he said.