Danielle Heffernan saw an opportunity with the old Huggy’s Social House location at 5024 Liberty Ave. in Vermilion. She took the chance and resurrected the longtime eatery with a new nautical look and name—
The Chart Room Vermilion.
“The building was a gas station at one point and then it was a coffee shop and then converted into a restaurant and bar,” says Heffernan, a project manager for Six Flags. “My thought is to be that local spot and compliment all of the businesses that are already downtown.
“Since I live in Vermilion, it’s really exciting to be able to invest in the town and really become part of the business community.”
What is happening: The first thing that needs to be done is a complete remodel of the interior of the building. Heffernan just recently finalized the deal for the location and has not completed planning on exactly how the restaurant will look, but for now, she visualizes a place that plays off its new name, while also being a place where patrons can catch the big game.
“I can confidently tell you that we’re going to do gyro sandwiches and we’ll have perch and walleye since we’re on Lake Erie,” she says. “We’re really going to try to play up the local nautical scene. This is a boating community and we’re going to try to get some boats to visit.”
The restaurant has an occupancy of 60 seats, plus four dock slips on the Vermilion Lagoons. It’s also located within walking distance from the public docks that are near the Quaker Steak & Lube restaurant.
“It’s a small venue because it’s a small place,” Heffernan says. “With all the places in town with fine dining, we’re going to be more casual.”
What will remain: While all of the memorabilia that used to be part of the Huggy’s experience went with the old owner, Heffernan does intend to continue being the place to sample whiskey.
“Huggy’s already had established itself as a place for whiskey,” she says. “The owner had a really great bourbon collection and we’re going to keep that. As far as the restaurant in general, we’re still working through what our menu is going to be.”
The look of the place is also still up in the air.
“We’re basically starting over with four walls and a liquor license,” Heffernan says. “We’re going to try to get one of the old owner’s signs to hang in the restaurant as a nod to the prior place.”
When to visit: Since Heffernan just got the keys to the place, the renovation project is only in the planning phase. She hopes to open in January, but it might end up being February before the doors actually open.
“It will depend on if we have any project delays,” she says of the renovation. “We’re going to open up the kitchen a little more and we have to build a new bar. The room is completely empty right now.”
How to get involved: Heffernan is still working on many of the logistics of the business, such as hours, phone numbers and other contact information. However, she has started a Facebook page—
The Chart Room Vermilion—to keep the community informed.
“There’s been a lot of buzz around town about what’s going on with Huggy’s, so as soon as I posted it [on my personal Facebook page], I knew the news would get around pretty quickly,” she says. “That’s what we wanted. We want people to know it’s not going anywhere. We just have to make some renovations and we’ll be ready to welcome everyone back.”