Last Wednesday, Ranch 82, a popular event venue in the Whitesboro area, opened its doors as a dine-in restaurant.
Sitting on seven acres of land, the 6,000 square-foot building has seen a few changes over the years. In its previous life, half the building was a steakhouse and the other half was a lawn art business.
In June 2019, Celina resident Kim Kenney took over ownership of Ranch 82. She brought 20 years of experience in the wedding and event industry and knew she could make this a successful venture. After some renovations and upgrades to the building, she held her first big event, a Ducks Unlimited fundraiser, and things were ramping up. But then COVID-19 hit.
“I had dumped a lot of money into the event venue, and I would just go back by the pond and just cry,” Kenney said. “I thought, ‘Oh, no! I had something going in Dallas, now I’m here, I’m scared.’ But we survived.”
Since then, Ranch 82 has hosted a variety of events, ranging from private rentals to public gatherings. But after more than two decades in the event business, Kenney was ready for a change. Knowing that a common desire for area residents is a restaurant that offers dinner options, Kenney decided to transition Ranch 82 into a dine-in restaurant.
She expanded the bar, mounted televisions to the wall and created a space for people to come and have a drink or enjoy a sit-down meal.
Kenney held a soft opening on March 7 and 8, inviting people to attend and try out the proposed menu items and enjoy some live music and an open bar.
“It was a challenge for sure. Friday night was a little more difficult -- we were trying to work out the kinks and the kitchen was pretty backed up,” Kenney said. “Luckily for our soft opening, we knew pretty much everyone so they were a little bit more gracious. We realized what we were doing wrong and learned what processes we needed to change to implement on Saturday. For the majority of Saturday, the flow was pretty smooth.”
Attendees at the restaurant’s soft opening provided Kenney with helpful feedback that guided some decisions for this month’s grand opening.
The restaurant officially opened for business last Wednesday for lunch and dinner. Menu options include hand-crafted burgers, super-sized baked potatoes, salads and daily specials (among other items). Hours of operation are Wednesday and Thursday 11 a.m.-9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday 11 a.m.-11 p.m. The restaurant will be closed Sunday through Tuesday. Diners can also enjoy live music on weekends.
“There’s a lot of people that say there’s nowhere to go dancing, or they have to go to Denison,” Kenney said. “This will be a chance for people to come much closer to home and not have to drive so far at the end of the night. We’re going to have great bands, and we have a great dance floor space.”
Even though Ranch 82 will primarily serve as a restaurant, Kenney will continue to host some of the community’s favorite events. The highly popular Ladies’ Bingo will remain a monthly activity, as will regularly scheduled market days. Private events like the History Club Spring Social and Fashion Show will also continue.
Kenney’s motto at the Ranch 82 restaurant is, “Where old friends gather and new friends are found.” Be sure to stop by for lunch or dinner (or even just to grab a drink after work) and enjoy the reinvention of this popular local venue.
Ranch 82 is located at 12265 E Hwy. 82 in Whitesboro. Follow them on Facebook for daily updates and menu options.
