Rusty Wrench Garage Bar provides seniors nostalgic, 'outdoor' dining experience

RESTON, Va. - Nov. 16, 2020 - PRLog -- The Rusty Wrench Garage Bar provides independent living residents and their family members an opportunity to share time together amid a 1950s-era backdrop at Hunters Woods at Trails Edge while still safely following COVID-19 pandemic guidelines.

    "This is a dining venue that probably is outside the norm of what people typically might envision when thinking of senior living dining options," said Cissy Nickel, Executive Operations Officer at Hunters Woods at Trails Edge. "We have a vibrant crew of independent living residents and team members who are able to enjoy what once was simply a common garage area now turned into a unique dining experience."

    The concept actually is an extension of Hunters Woods at Trails Edge's popular Turquoise Tiki Bar & Grill, which had been dubbed as Reston's first senior living outdoor dining venue.

    "In the summer, we opened our Tiki Bar, which was under cover, outdoors and provided our residents with an opportunity to meet with their families while following mask-wearing and social distancing guidelines," Nickel said. "We created this outdoor space and it was awesome. Now, the weather is changing and it's going to be more difficult to be outdoors."

   Nickel and her team didn't have to go very far to find another suitable spot. In fact, she simply had to walk to a spacious garage area in the new, state-of-the-art senior living community.

    "We've got this awesome space and this provides an opportunity for residents and families to get together and safely visit," she said.

    The space is decorated with used tires, old rusty wrenches and bales of hay. A pool table, dart board, board games and a television provide entertainment options.

    Nickel credited Emad Mansour -- Safety and Maintenance Engineer at Hunters Woods at Trails Edge -- with putting together the garage bar and many of the decorative items.

      The area has a large open-air grate on the ceiling, which provides ventilation from the outdoor area above. There is a fresh air exchange system as well as electric heaters.

    "What's nice about this venue is the air exchange is so much greater and allows people to gather safely in a fresh-air environment while being comfortable, socially distanced and safely masked," Nickel said. "Really, it's an outdoor-indoor facility."

    A special ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on Nov. 6.

    "Our residents have really embraced this concept," Nickel said. "We wanted to do something to brighten their outlook during these difficult times and provide another dining and entertainment option."

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