By Emma Stanton, Staff Writer
A new business has opened in Woodstock Village. Ranch Camp — a full-service restaurant, bar, and mountain bike shop — opened Monday, Sept. 8 at a former bank property on Woodstock Road.
Owner and Woodstock resident, Nate Freund, spoke to the Standard about the opening and what local residents can expect. “We have a sister shop in Stowe, Vt., with the same concept — restaurant, tap room, and a full-service bike sample room. When we expanded to Woodstock, we wanted to create a space that was open seven days a week. Here, we have a full bar, serving liquor, beer, and wine, 75 seats with both indoor and outdoor seating options, and a full-service bike shop on the lower level.”
The restaurant, which is situated on the first floor, will be open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., with the bike shop open Sunday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Owners and partners of Woodstock Village’s newest restaurant, Ranch Camp, modeled after their sister location in Stowe, from left: Evan Chismark, Nate Freund, Ryan Thibault, and Brian Burchell. Rick Russell Photo
“We wanted Ranch Camp to add to the town and to serve the people who live here. Obviously, there is a need for food in the Village, especially on Sunday and Monday. Being open past 8 p.m. seven days a week fills a void and was very necessary for us from the beginning,” Freund added.
He went on to say, “As for the bike shop, we will mostly be dealing in mountain and gravel bikes, with fat bikes for the wintertime, and a small percentage of road bikes. Our shop is unique in that we offer custom bike fittings and allow clients to demo bikes until they find one they are in love with. Some of these mountain bikes are upwards of $3,000, and forcing a person to financially commit to a bike before they’ve tested it makes no sense to us. Our goal for this space is to allow people to stop in, try a bike, take it out on the trails, and then come back for a beer and a warm meal.”
Along with bike rentals and custom fittings, Ranch Camp will also be offering repair and bike modifications. Freund stated, “The way our sister-shop operates, and my vision for this space, is for the two entities — bike shop and restaurant — to co-exist. We pride ourselves on the Ranch Camp experience, which looks different to every customer. Whether you stop in for a basket of fries and a burrito or to demo a $4K e-bike, we want to ensure you, as a valued customer, have the best experience possible. We are just so excited for people to experience the full spectrum of what we have to offer.”
Freund and his business partners Ryan Thibault, Evan Chismark, and Brian Burchell began converting the abandoned bank into the Ranch Camp restaurant and shop in April of this year. “Transforming this space was a blast,” Freund added. When you walk into Ranch Camp, the first floor opens to an indoor restaurant, with a bar situated toward the back (where the bank teller would have been). Behind the bar, the restaurant opens to an outdoor patio. A sliding glass panel behind the bar divides the space and opens to allow the bartender to service both sides of the restaurant. “That is where the drive-up window used to be for the bank,” Freund said. “We wanted to create a functional space where people could enjoy a pleasant meal.”
The bank vaults still exist, though the first-floor vault now leads into a new kitchen, while the basement vault opens to bike storage. Downstairs, and accessible through a side door, is the full-service bike shop, complete with hundreds of demo-bike models and every tool a Vermont bike rider could possibly need.
“It’s a great space that fulfills all of our needs,” Freund concluded. “We are just so excited to be full of customers and to provide exceptional service to our town.”