In equal parts reverence to The Viking and resurrection of Copper Gate, Olaf’s opens its doors to the public tomorrow. Owners David Chilson, Pete Pigott, and Sara Moot are at the helm of Olaf’s, named after the little viking in the former Viking Tavern’s logo. They were all three faithful regulars of the Viking, and bought the Copper Gate in order to establish a new, cozy, neighborly watering hole.
Some of the notable changes include a back room for pinball, a new bar area, and Narboo murals throughout. Chilson told us that he and his partners jumped at the opportunity to buy the space when they heard it was up for sale. He says it was their chance to “save a bar for our neighborhood.” They took out the big boat in the middle of the restaurant because they wanted to provide a larger bar, one, “you could sit around and converse with you neighbors and friends.”
The kitchen will be revamped as well, with a new menu put together by Moot, who used to run Persimmon in Fremont. They’ll have what Chilson calls “quality bar food,” such as sandwiches and hot dogs, all a step above normal pub fair.
Their hours will be 11 a.m. to 2 a.m., seven days a week. Take a look at their Facebook page to see the progress of the reopening.
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