Wild pandemic year sees McHenry pub re-branded, sold off, reincarnated
McHENRY - In the thick of the summer of 2020, after being shut down for months due to COVID-19 restrictions, McHenry bar owner John Macrito decided it was time to switch gears.
He'd rebrand from Corkscrew Pointe to Grinders Ale House, with an emphasis on a more pandemic-resilient offering: food. Even during closures, curbside pick-up and carry-out orders were offering sustenance to other business owners. He'd invest in his kitchen, and try his hand.
What emerged was a gastropub featuring gourmet sandwiches brimming with Boar's Head meats and cheeses on freshly baked bread. Macrito put up new signs, promoted his new venture and began seeing some new life at 1402 N. Riverside Drive, McHenry, where customers gave a collective thumbs-up to the tasty creations coming out of the kitchen.
Not four months later, he was selling it all - from the tables and chairs in the dining room to the TVs over the bar and even the new sign over the door. An offer had been made to Macrito and his brother, Jerry Macrito, for the business and the building. Closing was imminent, or so they thought.
"We had a solid offer and expected to close on it early this year," Macrito said. "I sold everything, including the kitchen sink! I sold freezers, refrigerators, coolers, shelving, ovens, fryers, prep stations, plates, silverware, even my spices."
Flash forward to today, and Macrito is once again rebuilding his business, and his brand, after the sale of the property fell through.
"It has been one crazy year. That's for sure," he said this April, shortly after yet another new Grinders Ale House sign was installed over the building's south entrance as stacks of new outdoor patio tables lined an inside wall, awaiting their christenings.
Macrito has made use of COVID-19 grants to rise from the ashes. In the past couple of months, he's bought 65 bar stools, 15 high-top tables, 40 outdoor chairs and 16 outdoor tables, two coolers, a serving station and grills. Eight colorful patio table umbrellas are on order. Piers are in the permitting process. And while customers were a little confused at first, having noticed that he was selling everything off last fall, they're returning as well.
"This place is definitely going on the list of places to order from during work. Cheap, simple menu. Great food!" wrote Cory Stakic on the Grinders Ale House Facebook page after a recent visit.
The Grinders Ale House menu, available at grindersalehouse.com, features 13 sandwiches, any one of which can be made into a salad version instead. Each sandwich (or salad) is $7.99. Add a side of potato salad, cole slaw, macaroni salad or corkscrew fries for $1. A half sandwich, cup of soup special is $6.95, with Tomato Florentine, Spring Harvest, Three-Cheese Potato with Bacon and Mediterranean Lemon Chicken soups available.
The kitchen is open 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays. Free pastries and coffee are set out for gamers from 6 to 10:30 a.m. daily. The bar, featuring an impressive array of craft beers, is open until 11 p.m. Mondays, 1 a.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays, 2 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 11:45 p.m. Sundays.
"I'm glad to be back," said Macrito, who joined the McHenry Township Board of Trustees this month. "I'm looking forward to summer. Now all I need is more kitchen staff as we head into the busy season."
Full- and part-time positions are available, with starting pay based on experience. To apply, stop by Grinders or send an email to John@Grindersalehouse.com.
Visit grindersalehouse.com or follow Grinders Ale House on Facebook.