Koko: Fountain Square's Urban Stillhouse '90 percent complete'
Jul. 20—The Urban Stillhouse may be a Christmas present to downtown Somerset this year.
With work ongoing to bring the Horse Soldier Bourbon-affiliated restaurant — located in the old Goldenberg Furniture building — for over a year, Urban Stillhouse owner Meredith Koko provided an update on the project's progress to the Commonwealth Journal on Thursday.
"I would say we are 90 percent complete," said Koko, daughter of John Koko, one of the founders of Horse Soldier Bourbon as well as the U.S. Green Berets whose story of going into Afghanistan following 9/11 was immortalized in the book and film "12 Strong."
Koko said they'll probably start looking for staff around Thanksgiving.
Added Koko, "Right now, we are waiting on the furniture, which is the last piece of it. ... We want to keep everything uniform within each property and we want it to look exactly like our current property."
That "current property" is the original Urban Stillhouse restaurant in St. Petersburg, Florida, called the "ultimate Horse Soldier experience." Horse Soldier Bourbon broke ground in October of 2021 on a $200 million distillery and entertainment lifestyle complex on the grounds of the former Waitsboro Hills golf course, and has been active in the community in a number of ways, including recently sponsoring the the main stage at Master Musicians Festival last weekend.
Koko herself popped in to attend Master Musicians Festival this past weekend and build a bigger bond with the future home of her restaurant.
"It was super fun," she said. "We had a great time, we did the lake, the whole thing."
She also took time to visit the restaurant and check out its progress for herself, which has been courtesy of the hard work of contractor D.W. Wilburn, Inc.
"It looks amazing," she said. "I haven't been in a while so I'm really excited. ... Just being back in Somerset really rejuvenated me on (the project) because I'm just so in love with everybody and we had such a good time, being with everybody again and all of our friends that we've met."
In Florida, the Urban Stillhouse is known for dishes like a bison filet, lamb chops, and fresh seasonal fish dishes all cooked on a big open flame. Everything ties the bourbon in, from sauces to the smell from the burning wood. The restaurant also features a craft mixology program, with bar staff happy to educate and chat with guests about the hundreds of spirits offered.
Koko said that they have business partners that are helping with capital raising. "They're bigger companies, so sometimes it takes us a little while to get what we need," said Koko. "It's all these little things. But the meat and the potatoes and the bones are in, the plumbing, all of the decor, the lights, etc."
Those walking by the building on the Fountain Square can see a large stone fireplace inside as an attractive feature that catches the eye through the window.
"It's like a replica of our current one (in Florida), but scaled down," said Koko. That dining room will serve lunch and dinner regularly, as well as a brunch offering, she noted.
As the restaurant gets closer to hiring, Koko in anticipating being on-site in Somerset more. Additionally, once the restaurant's core staff is in place, Koko would like to bring them to St. Petersburg to observe the culture and learn all about the brand.
"(I want to) let them really get a feel for what we do and our level of hospitality, because what we do here is fine dining and we offer a pretty extensive experience," said Koko. "Once you walk in the door, from that point to the time you leave, we really take care of people."
