Haywood’s on the Green at Clinton Country Club opens to public Friday

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MILL HALL - The Clinton Country Club offers something new - Haywood's on the Green, a new place to dine.

The restaurant will open its doors at 11 a.m. tomorrow, and the general public is welcome there any day of the week.

Located on the ground floor of the club, Haywood's on the Green will serve lunch and dinner "Monday through Sunday," beginning at 11 a.m. daily.

Modeled after owner Kim Walker's first enterprise, Haywood's Bar & Grill at 113 W. Water St., Muncy, the new restaurant will feature the same menu, the same sort of decor honoring local sports teams and, as Walker said, "the same attitude."

"We try to make people feel welcome," he said. "We appreciate their business, and we give them a good bang for their buck... It's a fun place to come to."

Manager Rich Johnson agreed.

"Haywood's is a good plan for a restaurant that pleases a wide variety of the public these days, with great food, great portions and reasonable prices," he said.

"The sandwiches are incredible," he added.

Haywood's is known for its Pittsburgh-style sandwiches - which come with coleslaw and fries in them - as well as wings, homemade pizza and fresh-cut steaks.

The "Roethlis-Burger" is 10 ounces of fresh-ground sausage with onions, peppers, coleslaw, french fries and fried egg in the sandwich, Walker said, and also comes with a side of fresh-cut fries.

Haywood's also offers fresh-cut sweet-potato fries and other fun food.

Johnson has worked for 20 years in the food service field and holds a culinary degree from Culinary Institute of America.

He helped put the first Haywood's together and continues to assist with expansion plans there.

But this is the first time he has worked for his friend Walker, he said, and he was willing to leave his food service job at the Allenwood federal prison to become the restaurant's manager because of the great chance of success he sees here.

He's bringing to the position his experience gained through managing several other restaurants. The keys to success in this business, he said, are "friendly staff and attention to detail."

Haywood's on the Green, with its 25 new employees now hired and ready to go, will have that, he said.

The walls of the restaurant feature items from local sports teams, including uniforms and helmets from Central Mountain and Jersey Shore Area high schools, equipment and more from Lock Haven University, and in pride of place by the door, black and yellow pennants, towels and other Pittsburgh Steelers collectibles.

A wrestling singlet signed by the Alton brothers hangs on the wall in the Wildcats section, and people have already started to donate other memorabilia, Walker said, something he's pleased to see happening.

He wants Haywood's on the Green to have a close connection to its customers, he said, just as the bar and grill in Muncy does.

"They become like family to us," he said. "We know them by name, they know us by name."

In fact, that's how Haywood's was selected for the local job, he said. Dan Klingerman, an owner of the country club, is a Haywood's customer and approached Walker about replicating the food and friendly atmosphere at the local facility.

The Mill Hall restaurant will follow the tradition of the one in Muncy and will support community efforts, Walker pledged.

In the future, it also will offer lunch delivery to local companies and will probably schedule acoustic music on the patio in warm weather.

All its facilities, including the patio, will be non-smoking, the owner said.

His Muncy restaurant will mark its seventh year in June, he said.

"Haywood's began as a dream, then a wish, a drive," he stated. "And finally in a conversation between two good friends... 'Hey, would you like to start a restaurant?'" That 'Hey, would' became the name of the successful enterprise.

The local restaurant also will serve the club's banquet facility, which seats 200, and will be available for catering, weddings, club meetings and company gatherings, according to club manager Jerry Clark.

About 30 invitations were sent out for a "VIP night" tonight at Haywood's on the Green before the official opening, Johnson said, but beginning tomorrow, everyone is welcome to stop by for lunch or dinner and check it out.

"The biggest misconception is going to be that we are members-only - we're not. We are open to the public," Walker emphasized.

Reservations are suggested for Friday and Saturday evenings and may be made by calling 748-8402.