Woody’s Classic Sports Pub officially opens in midtown tomorrow

The sign is up, the tiny kitchen is operational, and the TV monitors are all tuned to sports stations: Woody’s Classic Sports Pub at 3740 Broadway, the latest food-and-drink establishment created by the owners of the local Hamburger Mary’s franchise — Jeff Edmondson and Dr. Eric Christensen — is open. The tiny sports saloon — it seats fewer than 50 on the first floor — quietly openen for business over the weekend.

“It’s our soft opening,” says Edmondson, who was tending bar Saturday night. “This gives our staff a chance to work out all the kinks.”

In a kitchen that wasn’t much bigger than a walk-in closet, the resident cook Tim Calton was frying burgers and chopping onions.

 
The renovation of this space, which has operated as some kind of bar for more than five decades, was planned for two months. It took nearly five months, and Edmondson was still hammering nails and doing minor repairs until Friday afternoon. His staff includes general manager Michelle Wyssman — the former bartender and general manager of this venue’s previous tenant, Vandals Punk Rock Club.

Prior to its incarnation as Vandals, this long, narrow saloon had been home to the Black & Gold Tavern and Kenny’s News Room. Edmondson and Wyssman helped gut the interior and build out the new one, decorated by Andy Chambers and Alan Dunham, of the Westport vintage store Wonderland.

Woody’s used a limited food menu over the weekend but will offer its complete menu of burgers, hot dogs and sausages and other pub dishes this week.