A new business has opened in Woodstock Village. Ranch Camp — a full-service restaurant, bar, and mountain bike shop — opened Monday, Sept. 8 at a former bank property on Woodstock Road.
Owner and Woodstock resident, Nate Freund, spoke to the Standard about the opening and what local residents can expect. “We have a sister shop in Stowe, Vt., with the same concept — restaurant, tap room, and a full-service bike sample room. When we expanded to Woodstock, we wanted to create a space that was open seven days a week. Here, we have a full bar, serving liquor, beer, and wine, 75 seats with both indoor and outdoor seating options, and a full-service bike shop on the lower level.”
The restaurant, which is situated on the first floor, will be open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., with the bike shop open Sunday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
“We wanted Ranch Camp to add to the town and to serve the people who live here. Obviously, there is a need for food in the Village, especially on Sunday and Monday. Being open past 8 p.m. seven days a week fills a void and was very necessary for us from the beginning,” Freund added.
He went on to say, “As for the bike shop, we will mostly be dealing in mountain and gravel bikes, with fat bikes for the wintertime, and a small percentage of road bikes. Our shop is unique in that we offer custom bike fittings and allow clients to demo bikes until they find one they are in love with. Some of these mountain bikes are upwards of $3,000, and forcing a person to financially commit to a bike before they’ve tested it makes no sense to us. Our goal for this space is to allow people to stop in, try a bike, take it out on the trails, and then come back for a beer and a warm meal.”
Freund and his business partners Ryan Thibault, Evan Chismark, and Brian Burchell began converting the abandoned bank into the Ranch Camp restaurant and shop in April of this year.