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Patrons are immediately going to see the improvements made at the Landstuhl Community Club at its grand reopening 5 to 7 p.m. today, said the manager Jeff Holmes.
“Just walking in here, they are going to see the larger dining area ahead of them, and then to the right, they will see the new sports bar lounge with pool tables and dart boards, and throughout the facility, they will see six flat-screen TVs,” he said.
Renovations costing close to $200,000 and taking about four months to complete have transformed the U.S. Army Garrison Kaiserslautern club that’s tucked away behind one of the Air Force Inns on Landstuhl Regional Medical Center.
Built in the 1950s, the club has not had a major renovation like this one since the early 1980s, said Mr. Holmes.
“We wanted to make sure there is a little bit of something for everyone here, especially the wounded warriors at the MTD (Medical Transition Detachment), Sailors from the Navy reserve unit (Navy Expeditionary Medical Unit 09) and the working population from the hospital,” said Valentine Pumphrey, the garrison’s business operations chief.
She added that the club is the only eating establishment outside of the hospital and the only place open after duty-hours on the post.
The huge ballroom that once engulfed the old club has now been divided into a larger dining area and conference room.
Seating in this new dining area has been increased, accommodating about 15 to 20 more people. Now, there’s also direct access to the outdoor patio – before, people would actually have to walk into someone’s conference to get to it.
Mr. Holmes said two tables will be on the patio when weather permits, giving patrons a choice of eating inside or outside.
“We actually installed modern audio and visual equipment so we can now host daytime conferences,” said Mrs. Pumphrey, who added that several units and agencies have already held forums here. “There’s no additional fee for the equipment – it’s a part of the conference.”
Other new services include live Wi-Fi (wireless Internet) throughout the club where customers can bring their laptops and hook-up for a fee. Three new Internet gaming machines are now in the club’s game room, offering titles such as “Battleground II,” “The Man of War” and “The Halo.” And, Wii games can be found at the sports bar lounge.
New menu items like a fajita dinner for two have been added with more coming, said Mr. Holmes, who added he expects to have a new menu by Jan. 1. His goal is to have a menu that’s in-line with the Army’s Five-Star Catering Program.
With the new dart boards, Mr. Holmes wants to start hosting dart tournaments to go along with the club’s already longstanding poker contests.
Poker lessons will be taught at the reopening, and there will be displays on what the club can offer for formal and informal dinners. Sports trivia contests, prizes and music provided by a DJ are some of the entertainment available at the reopening. A finger-food buffet will also be provided.
