Community Leaders
Past And Present
After a winter lay-off in 1979, that grand old eatery that reflects so much of the early history of Fairfield Bay, the Wild Boar Restaurant, re-opened its doors the first week in March 1980 with a little bit of a facelift and under new management.
The new managers are the Ivanor family; Ed, Sharlot and their daughter, Debbie, Fairfield Bay property owners who moved here two months ago from Arlington Heights, Illinois.
Ed Ivanor is pretty confident that area residents and tourists will be very impressed with what the new Wild Board will have to offer. “My wife is an excellent cook so I think people will love eating here. She and my daughter Debbie will be involved with the food operation on a full time basis.”
As a convenience, Ivanor said the restaurant will be opening up every morning at 6 a.m. to catch the early traffic such as fishermen. He said they would also be offering a luncheon buffet as well as a dinner buffet and a smorgasbord on Sundays.
One of the most unique services the new management plans to offer, however, is a carry-out arrangement and, if business is good enough, a catering service.
Ivanor said they would be staying open at least until 8 p.m. every evening and even later than that if business warrants it. He said the family will serve a home-style type of cooking geared to family eating habits. He added, also, that the menu would feature a great deal of variety to try and please the tastes of every resident.
The restaurant business is nothing new to the Ivanors. Ed said that he and his wife and both of their parents have had experience in the restaurant business for the past 35-40 years in the Arlington Heights area. “I think we know what we’re doing and we want to pas on our many years of experience to the customers here,” he said.
The Ivanors and their daughter have been property owners at the Bay for about a year and a half. “We came down here and just fell in love with the area.” Ed said. “We thought it would make a great place to settle down.”
The elder Ivanors got the idea of coming down to open the Wild Boar from their daughter. “Debbie had come down to the Bay with a friend last summer,” he explained, “to see about starting another business.” She got in touch with Darrell Glascock, the Public Relations Director and Commercial Properties Manager for Fairfield Communities and he told her about the Wild Boar needing new management. “Debbie came back and told us about it and before we knew it we decided to come down and get into business.”
The family, along with some helpers, have been scrubbing, cleaning and painting the restaurant for several weeks in anticipation of the grand opening. “We know people are going to really like what we have to offer,” Ed said.
Initially, Ed said that the restaurant will employ from 12 to 14 people, depending upon the volume of business.
Ed said that he felt like he had really found a home at the Bay and plans on staying awhile. “I enjoy it here. The people are exceptional. I don’t think you can find a better place. We have made many new friends already.”
THAT WAS THE PAST: The week of March 7-13, 1980, the Wild Board re-opened its doors once again to start a new chapter in its long and distinguished history of service to the people living on the north shore of Greers Ferry Lake.
THIS IS THE PRESENT: Debbie (now known as “Deb”) Ivanor is Food and Beverage Director, with Jeannie Stone, of the Little Red Restaurant at Indian Hills and also manager of the Cool Pool at the site of the Racquet Club/Bay View Swimming Pool. The Little Red Restaurant recently received the “Certificate of Excellence” award for a second year in a row, 2014 and 2015. The award celebrates excellence in hospitality and is given only to establishments that consistently achieve great traveller reviews on TripAdvisor. Certificate of Excellence winners continually deliver a superior customer experience, great food and great service. The Little Red is once again rate #1 in the Greers Ferry Lake area. Ivanor and Stone are also the food caterers for the Conference Center in Fairfield Bay.
We are pleased and fortunate that Deb’s presence is heartfelt with the residents of the Fairfield Bay/Greers Ferry Lake area.