Business

Flat Rock gets a nighttime spot

Village Cafe & Pub owner Dustin Zlacki waits on a customer at the pub, open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

By Bill Moss, Published: July 29, 2014

FLAT ROCK — Dustin and Shannon Zlacki took a leap into the restaurant business after selling their home and moving here from Pittsburgh last year.

Six months after buying and taking over the venerable Dean's Deli, the couple has made another bold move, rebranding the combination sandwich shop and convenience store, shedding the breakfast business and adding a night-time bistro feel.
"It's going good, It's just promising to me," Dustin said of the new place, the Village Café & Pub. "It's all been word of mouth. We haven't advertised."
They're still working on getting everything working smoothly.
"We finally got the to-go menus in yesterday," he said.
While Shannon works in the kitchen and a stalwart crew of serve and help with cooking, Dustin pours wine by the glass and craft beer from eight taps at the new bar. The restaurant has added high-top tables and has five tables for two outside. It still offers the regular tables that Richard and Kathy Dean had put in as part of the sandwich shop. Many of Kathy Dean's sandwiches and side order recipes survive and Shannon has added some Pittsburgh specials.
Starting at 3 in the afternoon, the Zlackis offer a pub menu that includes jalapeno pretzel poppers for $5.99, spinach artichoke rangoons ($5.99), nachos and cheese ($6.49), meat lovers panini (capicola, salami, pepperoni and provolone on flatbread, $6.99), hummus and vegetable plate ($5.99), coconut shrimp ($7.49), hamburger sliders (three for $7.49) and shrimp and crab dip ($7.49).
Ann Ramey Schwab serves a lunch order.The pub was pouring local brews including Flat Rock-made Naked Apple hard cider, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Oskar Blues pilsner and French Broad 13 Rebels ESB. It also sells domestic and craft beer and imports by the bottle. The pub stocks wines by the bottle customers can choose from a rack and it's pouring wines made by Saint Paul Mountain Vineyards and Canyon Road.
An ice cream shop they added in the space next door "is open whenever we're here and we're open."
The couple has been gratified by their first dose of Southern hospitality.
"I'd like to thank all the local support that we've had since been here," Dustin said. "They've all been supportive and kind and behind us."
The Village Café & Pub opens at 11 a.m. and closes when the last customer leaves.
"I don't know" the closing time, Dustin said. "The people are going to dictate that."