The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

DAYTON - The owners of the remodeled Woody's Bar & Grill, now called Threshers, said they have zero-tolerance for troublemakers and have banned four local individuals from the premises after a fight broke out on opening night Friday, April 13.

"We've said time and again that we'll close the place down before we become a dive bar," co-owner Curtis Seiss said. "We don't want this sort of thing to happen."

The otherwise successful re-opening of the bar following 10 days of remodeling ended an hour early when Columbia County Sheriff's deputies were called in after a brawl developed before 1 a.m., according to a police report.

The opening drew a big crowd and "some conflicts occurred," confirmed Columbia County Sheriff Walt Hessler, who was quick to point out that Seiss and his wife, co-owner Sandy Seiss, are trying to reign in misbehavior with the help of law enforcement officials. "The new owners are trying to be proactive."

Because of the large crowd and the incident for which the deputies were called in, the sheriff's office convinced Seiss to close an hour earlier than planned, Hessler said.

"We did close down a little early to make sure we had a handle on everything," Seiss said, explaining that normal closing time would have been 2 a.m. and the decision was made in collaboration with the sheriff's deputies.

Seiss said two people who were "looking for a physical confrontation" were asked to leave the bar. The owners have instructed the staff not to allow them and two other individuals back in the restaurant.

"It was very disappointing for us," he said. "We were looking for a fresh start. We're trying to run a quality business."

But Seiss said he and his wife, co-owner Sandy Seiss, aren't discouraged, suggesting the instigators were "a few holdovers from the way it used to be" and opening night was a big hit, offering live music from the Montana band Pedacter Project and food sales that were better than projected.

The grand reopening night, which filled the place to capacity, had its challenges. A staff, triple the size of the old Woody's staff, was introduced to a new point of sale system shortly before and during the big event. Some patrons had to wait a while for their food, but said what they got was worth their patience.

"We had a lot of fun watching people's faces as they walked through the door. People can see we're trying to make it a much nicer place," said Seiss, who refers to Threshers as a "restaurant that serves drinks" rather than a "bar that serves food."

To make Threshers the family-friendly establishment the Seisses envision, the new owners have to draw a hard line with "elements" that aren't welcome, Seiss said.

To help ward off questionable behavior, Seiss said he will call police when faced with any provocative behavior and is working on long-term improvements, such as the addition of exterior lights and a walk through with the sheriff's office to look for other measures that might reduce opportunities for misconduct. That includes a strong emphasis on staff training to avoid over serving or selling drinks to minors, he said.

"We're working with the new owners," he said. "We're trying to make it a familyfriendly place."