Apr. 5, 2007

Letter to the editor:
Restaurant owner urges students to give them a try

Dear Editor,

I am writing in regards to an article published in the March 22 issue of your paper, “River City Tavern is not very much to write home about.” I feel that this article was written in poor taste and is unfair to my establishment, one which prides itself on customer satisfaction.

The two students responsible for the article claim that the restaurant smelled of cigarettes. I fail to see how this is possible, seeing as we have not allowed cigarette smoking since the ban on indoor smoking took place on December 7, 2006. In addition, the bar and restaurant are cleaned thoroughly every day by my staff and weekly by an outside cleaning service.

Another of Ms. Siders’ and Ms. Hilditch’s grievances was dissatisfaction with their meal. We are an establishment that takes pride in our menu. Nearly everything we offer is homemade, fresh, and made with the finest ingredients we can find. We serve only the best hand-cut, 36-day-aged grain feed black angus beef. Our made-from-scratch recipes include fresh baked breads and desserts, like our rich tall cheesecakes and soft garlic dinner rolls.

We take every step we can to assure that our guests get the dining experience they deserve. If there ever is a problem with food, service or any other aspect of someone’s visit, we will correct the situation without hesitation. We have comment cards on every table in the dining room and at the hostess stand. We have managers on hand at all times to talk to guests. We also have a very user friendly website which allows people to email their comments directly to us and we are very prompt in responding.

Of all these options, these students chose instead to bypass us and publish a one-sided, poorly written article which is not at all fact-based and misrepresents us to the rest of the student body of Marietta College— very unprofessional.

At our Parkersburg location we have reached out to support local schools and non-profit organizations with donations and sponsorship. We are already doing the same in Marietta with Harmar Rowing Club being a prime example. We are also sponsoring the River Front Roar, and just did a cooking demo for the Belpre Womens Club— all donations!

I think it is a shame that a school as distinguished as Marietta College has such a poor representation in its journalism department that it would publish something like this and risk hurting a family-owned and operated business that has just opened its doors to the city of Marietta.

River City Tavern & Grill is excited to be a part of the Marietta College life. We have great food, a great atmosphere, and there is nearly always something going on. The quality of our food is at the highest standard and our portions large for great value, all reasonably priced.

I urge the students of Marietta College to come in and give us a try and make your own judgment.

Steve Peters,
Owner River City Tavern & Grill