They say the only constant is that everything changes. At the Thirsty Duck Restaurant and Pub, that is certainly true. The popular spot, located on Minto Road near the Brick, has reconfigured their establishment to allow kids and families to come and dine.
“The changes are pretty much already made,” said owner/manager Carol Millar. “One half of the business is now all ages, licensed dining. So anyone can come in and eat and people of age can have a licensed beverage.”
Those adults wanting to quash their thirst and catch an NHL hockey game or other sporting event can still get their fill at the Duck.
“Half of the Thirsty Duck is still a liquor-primary pub,” said Millar. “We’ll still have our Keno and gambling and fun including sporting events on T.V.,” she said. “We also have off-sales available.”
The Thirsty Duck made the change over on Dec. 21 and business has been great.
“It’s been fabulous so far,” said Millar. “We’ve had a great response from everyone.”
The restaurant has added several items to their already large menu for the change.
“We’ve got a brand new kids menu,” said Millar. “We’ve also got a health-conscious menu coming out.”
Some of the popular items on the menu are the famous duck burger, corn dogs for the kids, sliders, pasta and the pear and goat cheese salad.
Millar explains that the expansion into more of a family-oriented establishment was due partially to the government’s stricter laws on drinking and driving.
“If I couldn’t put bums in the seats for beer, I had to get them there somehow,” she said. “And we’ve been getting many requests from our regulars that there’s limited places to take their kids, and they love coming there. So we opened it up to everyone.”
In February, the Thirsty Duck will be introducing Sunday brunch on the first Sunday of every month with a rotating menu.
Also in February, seniors will get 10 per cent of their meals on Sundays.
