“Quoth the raven, ‘We are open.’”

By Cheyenne Thomas For Beau and Tina Schmidt, ravens are not the only late-night visitors they intend to see “rapping at [their] chamber door.” The new owners of the former Vin-Yard at 215 N. Main Street in Loyal have been operating the newly-named Raven’s Nest for the past couple of months, with future plans to offer breakfast and coffee items on their menu.

The Raven’s Nest has been open since Aug. 21, with the Loyal Chamber of Commerce and Clark County Economic Development and Tourism Bureau holding a ribbon cutting for the business on Oct. 8. Named in honor of both the animal and as a tribute to Edgar Allen Poe’s poetry, the Schmidts hope to establish something new and special in the Loyal area, while also paying tribute to the past.

“The raven is one of our favorite animals,” said Beau. “We enjoy how smart they are, and when we thought about names for this place, we didn’t want to name it after ourselves. We didn’t want it to be the ‘Schmidt House.’ We wanted a different name.”

“In the past, this building actually used to be called the Eagle’s Nest,” added Tina. “So in a way, it’s an homage to the past. We get asked a lot if it’s named after the Baltimore Ravens, but it’s not. We just like ravens.”

Since they have opened, the Raven’s Nest has offered both bar and food items to customers in the afternoons and evenings, but when the Schmidts first had an idea for their own business, the dream was for something early birds could enjoy.

“Beau has always wanted a coffee shop,” said Tina. “But in Loyal with the amount of patrons you would get, a coffee shop wouldn’t be able to survive on its own. So the plan was to have the bar open at night and a coffee shop open during the day.”

That remains the ultimate goal for the Raven’s Nest, they said; it is just the journey to get there that is taking some time. As first-time owners of an eating establishment, they said it will take some time for them to get used to operations, and they would like to get a solid understanding of how to run the bar and serving food before adding on breakfast items.

“We’re not sure on the timeline yet, but we would like to get to the point where we are serving breakfast food,” said Tina. “But Beau and I are still learning the ropes. We want to be able to have a better idea of how everything will work from day to day before we begin to add the coffee and breakfast.”

Before owning the Raven’s Nest, Beau said he has had some experience working in a restaurant setting, but this marks the first time that either of them have owned their own business. It’s been quite the change, but with help from the former owners, they have been able to learn quite a bit.

“This is definitely a first,” said Beau. “I have worked at a few restaurants over the years, but nothing like this. We’ve been asking a lot of questions.”

“Dana (Putrus, former owner) has been working with Beau since we have taken over and that has helped us out a lot,” added Tina. “And there are at least three or four other restaurant owners that we know who have been more than willing to help us with any questions we have.”

As of right now, the Schmidts said they have figured out a general schedule on when they will be open during the day and evening. While part of their schedule is reflected on when customers come through the door, the Raven’s Nest will usually open beginning at 11 a.m. every day and will serve food until around 10 p.m.

“On most days we open at 11,” said Tina. “The kitchen stays open with the full menu until 10 p.m. After that we have a late night menu that is available as long as the bartender is available to do it. It’s up to their discretion if things are getting really busy on a night. Our late night menu is all fried food.”

“Our business is very fluid,” added Beau. “On a Wednesday, for example, we could be very busy, but on other nights, it could just be one person. Mondays are always the day that is up in the air, and there have been some Mondays that we don’t open until later because we don’t see anyone coming around until 4 in the afternoon.”

For their menu, the Raven’s Nest makes a variety of sandwiches and sides, with the meat for its hamburgers sourced from Hewitt Meats of Marshfield. They also have pizza on the menu, which is made to order.

In the future, the Schmidts have a few goals for their business. The first will be to add breakfast and coffee offerings, fulfilling the dream Beau has had for the place since the beginning. It is still a work in progress, they said, as they have to work to find an espresso machine that is not only affordable, but has a place where it can be inside the building itself.

“We’ve found out that espresso machines can be very expensive,” said Tina. “And then we will have to find a place to put it. We need the equipment first before we can begin offering breakfast.”

The Schmidts also have ideas on how to fix up certain portions of the building itself, such as the bar.

“We want to put in a new bar top at some point and finish the bar,” said Beau. “The sides of the bar right now are actually panel board. We painted it black so it doesn’t look so obvious, but we are looking for something to finish it with. We’re also thinking about doing something with the ceiling, but something that keeps the beams as they are. The beams need to stay. They look cool.”

As new business owners in the city of Loyal, Beau and Tina said they are very happy with providing the people of Loyal and anyone who passes through town a place where they can eat and participate in fun activities on nights and weekends, such as karaoke night. For them, it is a way to really get to know and be a part of the community they live in, and they hope to operate the Raven’s Nest for many years to come. “We’re excited to bring some entertainment to Loyal,” said Tina. “Provide people with something to do. Karaoke has gone over well. We have other events planned in the future as well.”

“We have lived in Loyal since 2018,” added Beau. “Everyone knows Tina — she graduated from here — but I grew up in Mashfield, so I don’t know the community as well. This is an opportunity for us to be a part of the community and get to know the people who come through the door.”

CHEYENNE THOMAS/ STAFF PHOTO