ROTHBURY — Danni Pickard probably didn't plan on becoming a bar owner when, looking for something different from her job, she left Hilite International after over 20 years to tend bar at what was then Danny'z Rothbury Tavern. Four years later, though, she and her family are in charge.
Danni, along with husband Matt and parents Chris and Penni Birkett, bought the tavern from Dan Zuniga earlier this year, announcing the change Oct. 7. They've slightly tweaked the name - it's now Danni's Rothbury Tavern - and added a chicken mascot named Brewster, whose visage is on the bar's new logo and whose likeness is all over the AI-generated videos posted to its Facebook page.
There's also been some minor changes to the menu, taking advantage of Matt's skills in the kitchen - he worked at Pub One Eleven in his younger days before becoming a massage therapist. The tavern now sources its burgers from Macho Meats, just a few stone's throws down Oceana Drive. Matt said the tavern can serve burgers that were ground earlier that same day as a result of that relationship. The bar's chicken shawarma and chicken sandwiches are "making waves," too.
The tavern had a Halloween bash that included a costume contest, and they'll host a live music performance Dec. 5 benefiting the Goodfellows/Old Newsies' initiative to aid low-income children during the holidays. Over the next year, Matt said he'd like to flesh out "my backyard," the outdoor seating area, with an improved performance stage and dance floor, over the next year.
But the most important things to the Pickards aren't changing. Regular karaoke nights three times a week are still staples and a welcoming community atmosphere is the bar's main goal.
"We want to keep it the same vibe as it's always been, that neighborhood atmosphere," Matt said. "It's a neighborhood dive bar and we didn't really want to make it not a neighborhood place to go. The neighborhood is important to us, so we want to make this the best way to represent them."
It's clear the goal is less to make big changes or to beef up the business of the bar than it is to continue providing what it's always done - a welcoming atmosphere. The tagline of the tavern is now, "Where everyone fits in."
"This bar's been stable for a long time," Matt said. "We've just brought a little bit of a different flavor to it, and a little more loving arm to it."
Their customers seem to have noticed. Danni said the bar recently welcomed a couple that had lived nearby for decades without ever coming in until learning of the new ownership and giving it a try - and she said they've been back four more times since.
In addition to being Danni's place of work for four years prior to buying the place, the tavern has a long history in the family. Matt said it was a hangout of his well before Danni began working there, and Chris Birkett said he's been coming since he was a young adult.
Matt's wizardry in the kitchen and Danni's skill behind the bar, the latter of which she didn't even realize she had until she began working there - she swears by her skills with a Bloody Mary in particular - complement each other well. It was those skills that made the Birketts confident in partnering with their daughter and son-in-law.
"It's a family venture," Chris said. "I'm on the silent side of it, but I'm always here to help, to swing a hammer. If I didn't have the confidence in these two, I wouldn't have done it."
Their skills made them confident they could own a bar, but the Pickards are banking on their friendliness to make people come back.
"There's not a soul that comes through this door that one of us doesn't say, 'Hi, how are you doing?'" Penni Birkett said. "It's a place that can make you feel like a home, that this is a place for you."
