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Guzzlers opens in former Prante’s site [UPDATED]
Published 10:51am Tuesday, June 5, 2012 Updated 11:09am Tuesday, June 5, 2012The southwest side of Otter Tail Lake welcomed a new restaurant on Monday. The former site of the Graystone and Prante’s is now home to Guzzlers, a bar and grill made for family fun.
Named for the old gas guzzling cars of the 1950s and 1960s, Guzzlers features a classic car theme with a summer-on-the-lake feel, said manager and part-owner Laurie Petersen.
“We felt that the lake needed this to be open again,” said Petersen. “The people on Otter Tail Lake need a place for family fun.”
The facility has changed considerably since it was purchased by owners Tim and Kayla Braun and Laurie and Ted Petersen. A boardwalk was built from the marina to the restaurant, and parking was moved from the road to an expanded parking lot to improve accessibility from the lake. The parking modification will also improve the view of the lake from the restaurant and outdoor deck, Petersen said.
An arcade and ice cream bar were added to a separate room designed with kids in mind.
“We wanted a place for the younger generation to come,” Petersen said. “We wanted to make this a place the whole family could enjoy.”
Live entertainment will highlight Saturday afternoons at Guzzlers. A variety of musical genres will be featured including country, island time, 60s and 70s music. Friday night will feature small entertainment inside.
Petersen and her three business partners purchased the building in March with full intentions of opening a nostalgic gas station themed restaurant called Guzzlers by summer. This became a reality on Monday.
“We wanted to create more entertainment on the lake,” Petersen said. “This has been received very well. People like the concept, and a lot of people look forward to coming here.”
The restaurant offers casual dining from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, and a bar menu will be available until 1 a.m.
“Broaster chicken is back,” said Petersen. “People have missed that in this area. We’ve heard that comment many times.”
Guzzlers will be a seasonal restaurant, open from May through October yearly.
Went last night PROS: Tastey food, reasonable prices, nice atmosphere. Cons: Too loud inside, not enough parking. We will go back, but not on weekends or holidays