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Lumpy's niche: 'Big fat steaks' By Sean Wolfe Ashland Daily Tidings Mechanic and drag racer Steve Apted doesn't remember how he got his nickname, but he's comfortable enough to attach it to his first saloon. Lumpy's Saloon & Grill opened a week ago in the previous headquarters of Goodtimes, an all-ages establishment particularly popular with the student crowd. Under Apted and his wife Toni who co-own the refurbished establishment, Lumpy's will aim to appeal to the 21-and-over set. Amenities include a trio of pool tables - Q's Music Hall boasts just two - plus several televisions, pinball and video game machines, and a cluster of video poker kiosks. He also plans to open the venue to live music in the near future. But for Apted, the real appeal is in the menu. A pound of steak for $10, $2 beer and well drinks and sandwiches stuffed with a half-pound of meat. "We have big food now," Apted said, holding his hands high above an imaginary plate. "We really pile it on. Even our cheese sandwiches are triple-decker. We put on the feedbag pretty good." Because Lumpy's will in part function as a steakhouse, Apted agreed that he will be forced to compete with Ashland institution Omar's Steak and Seafood, as well as Maverick's, Ashland's newest steakhouse on Highway 66. "We're right between both of them. But I think there's room for us. We get our meat from Emerson's, and that's where the finer restaurants go to get their meat. So I think we can compete on quality, and we'll certainly compete on price," Apted said. According to Apted, 47, the location of the venue has its share of advantages: 3,000 square feet of space, a half-acre of parking in a city where downtown parking is at a premium, and an outside area for smokers. But because Lumpy's is situated west of the McDonald's franchise on Ashland Street, Apted said he doesn't get many customers from the freeway off-ramp. Instead, his customers are mix of students and locals. "The (Interstate 5) traffic seems to turn around at the McDonald's. We opened under the new name last Friday night a week ago. They're not knocking us over, but we get people mingling in and out," Apted said. Those who frequented Goodtimes will notice the changes wrought by Apted and his assistants. The old brown carpet is gone, stripped down to the oak floors. Several interior walls have been removed, giving the space a more open feel. The exterior has been cleaned up significantly. But a few signs remain - including the old Goodtimes clock situated above the counter, and a large mural of the famous photo of Earth taken from the moon still graces the establishment's back wall. "We tried to make it non-pretentious. I fully expect to have peanut shells on the floor any time now," Apted said. As for live music, Apted said he remains open to any kind of music people will support. "I'm not in the business of forcing my opinions down people's throats. If people want cowboy music, we'll do that. Rock and roll, we'll do that, too. It's about what people want," Apted said. Despite the fact that the opening of Lumpy's represents Apted's first foray into the restaurant business, he's bullish on the prospect of future franchising. "We haven't advertised, and already people are coming in. Word of mouth has been our best advertising. And if it takes off, we'd like to see more of these. I mean, you have to have goals, and wouldn't it be neat? Big fat steaks, reasonable drinks, and something to do. That's what we're about," Apted said. LINKS: DAILY TIDINGS: Main | News | Sports | Obituaries | Opinion | Columnists | AP News | Subscribe | Archives | Weather | Classifieds | Contact Us | Privacy REVELS: Main | Calendar | Dining | Movies | T.V. OTHER: Road Cams Copyright 2003 Ashland Daily Tidings 541.482.3456. 1661 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland, OR 97520. Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. - Advertisers -