Questions Answered: Blair’s Newest Restauranteur, Gueorgui Platchkov,

BLAIR, NEBRASKA (2024 AUGUST 4, SUNDAY)

(This is our second article about the Lighthouse Bar and Grill. The next article we publish will be an extensive review of their food.)

The recent opening of Lighthouse Bar and Grill in Blair generated significant buzz among local residents. The support and hope for their success is solidly positive. We asked the owner, Gueorgui Platchkov, to answer a few questions. As busy as he is, his replies were clear, honest, and candid. And, Gueorgui’s insights into Lighthouse Bar and Grill’s operations have increased our confidence in the quality of food we expect to experience for our upcoming review.

Platchkov’s decision to bring Lighthouse to Blair was influenced by personal connections. “My wife is originally from Blair and we have family here so we spend a good amount of time in the area,” he explained. “My wife used to take her dad to Jake’s for lunch at least once a week before he passed away. When Jake’s closed down, I saw a void in the community for a good sports bar and decided to bring the Lighthouse Bar & Grill to Blair.”

The community’s response has been enthusiastic. “The initial response from the community has been awesome! We had a couple of construction delays and people kept on stopping by to check on the progress and inquire about the opening date. Once we opened, everyone came out to check out the new spot in town,” Platchkov shared.

The restaurant’s menu has quickly gained popularity, particularly the onion rings. “The onion rings ARE awesome. There’s something to be said about fresh onion rings, breaded and cooked to order. Much better than the frozen, out of the box stuff,” Platchkov emphasized. He added, “Overall, our wings are the most popular item on the menu and most people prefer them char buffed. We use jumbo size fresh wings and cook them to order so they always come out piping hot and super tasty.”

Our burgers are 1/2lb and hand pattied, made of fresh never frozen ground beef. We also make our own pizza dough fresh every day and everybody loves the crust. The phillies are made from in-house sliced steak instead of the frozen pucks that most places use.

Gueorgui Platchkov, Owner, Lighthouse Bar and Grill, Blair, Nebraska

Addressing concerns about wait times, Platchkov acknowledged the challenges of a new restaurant. “Longer wait times are normal based on the volume we’re getting and being brand new. The community has been great and shown up in numbers and our kitchen space is limited,” he said. “We continue to train our servers and kitchen staff to be more efficient and have made some adjustments in the kitchen set up to allow us to prepare the food faster without cutting corners.”

Consistency in food quality is a priority for the Lighthouse team. “As expected, we are going through some growing pains and we continue to train our staff to make sure the food is consistent and up to our standard,” Platchkov stated.

The restaurant has faced HVAC issues, a problem that plagued the previous establishment. Platchkov detailed the steps being taken to resolve this: “Everyone knows that Jake’s had HVAC issues for a long time. Because of that, one of the stipulations on our lease was for the landlord to inspect all HVAC units and warranty them.” He further explained, “The landlord (a company out of Texas) did what landlords do – took their time with everything and required their own inspection of the units. They discovered the same thing we did and on 8/2 they approved the work and the units are scheduled to have new compressors installed on 8/5 and 8/6, which should solve the HVAC issue.”

Staff training is ongoing, with Platchkov noting, “We hired most of our staff a month before we opened and did extensive training in our Tiburon Point location in Omaha. We continue to train and educate everyone and have added more staff to handle the volume. Most of our front of the house staff is local to Blair and the area.”

Customer feedback is a priority for Lighthouse. “Cox Communications hasn’t been able to activate our phone line yet, but we’re active on Facebook Messenger, our website and our email to be in touch with the customers. I’ve also been present in the location every day since we opened and spent time with the customers,” Platchkov shared.

Regarding Lighthouse’s role in Blair’s dining scene, Platchkov believes they’re filling a crucial niche. “I think that Blair definitely needs a place like the Lighthouse. We offer excellent food and cold beer at reasonable prices. Our menu is very extensive and we are a one stop shop – we have something for everyone, so everyone at the table is happy when they come in. We also have 30 TVs, which is awesome for watching sports.”

Looking ahead, Platchkov outlined plans for expansion: “So far we’ve been offering just our basic menu. Once the initial rush levels out, we will be offering our daily specials and different options on the weekends. We also have a specialty drinks menu that we will introduce soon. We will offer online ordering to help everyone with the carryout orders as well.”

As Lighthouse Bar and Grill settles into its new home in Blair, it’s clear that Platchkov and his team are committed to addressing early challenges and cementing their place in the community’s dining landscape.