Self-evident food and unalienable drinks

With a historically American name referencing the year the 13 colonies declared their independence, the 1776 Firehouse & Lodge will open this week, tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 18 pending repairs to the restaurant’s gas line.

The new restaurant headed by duo Kylie Clayton and Creston Mayor Waylon Clayton will open in the former location of The Lobby at 301 West Adams Street, writing a new chapter in the history of the Berning Motor Inn building. Items on the menu include steaks, barbecue, pasta and more.

The business held their ribbon cutting on Monday, after trial runs and a couple soft openings on Saturday, Dec. 7, and Saturday, Dec. 14, had taken place to patch up any existing problems in the output line.

During the ribbon cutting, Kylie and Waylon referred to each other as “the boss” and “the chef” respectively. The two said they took a risk with the business, undergoing over a month of dropped income while focusing on renovating the new space.

Kylie said the two of them will work to provide to the people of Creston, continuing their work from The Little Green Trailer to “strive to be the best, listen to what the people are wanting and practice old-school things we have learned.”

Waylon described the restaurant during the ribbon cutting as “a dream,” and said placing the business in Creston was essential for him. “The people are crying out for their town to get these things back,” he said. “I couldn’t [leave].”

He hopes people outside of Creston will visit the restaurant as a destination for the city.

The restaurant features a bar manned by general manager Tracy Leppla, which Kylie praised for “elevating the bar to the things you’d see in Des Moines.” Specialty drinks mirror the increased enthusiasm for the Claytons and their brick-and-mortar restaurant to elevate dining options in Creston.

Additionally, wines, whiskeys and vodkas are planned to be obtained through local options. Revelton Distillery, Templeton Distillery and Covered Bridges Winery were all named during the ribbon cutting.

Waylon described the process of renovating the kitchen area as a resurrection, fitting their new cooking area with proper facilities. He described clearing grout lines by saying, “the mayor’s digging on his hands and knees.”

Kylie thanked several volunteers for the work done to help renovate the space quickly, with Waylon noting how a “part of every community” had stopped by to help. “That’s part of what building in a small town is all about.”

In a Facebook post after the restaurant was fully licensed, Waylon said the restaurant “proves that the American dream is still alive.”