Pond Inn Restaurant to be Revived

One historic restaurant—The Pond Inn—has sat vacant in Wildwood at 17250 Manchester Road and the intersection of Pond Road for several years now. But it will be vacant no more in the future, as noted at Wildwood's city council meeting on Monday. Signs of refurbishing there were noticed by several Wildwoodians lately.

Activity at the location is a welcomed sight. The property once operated as an inn and restaurant, but closed some years ago due to a fire.

Bethany Mehard and her husband, William, purchased a home in Wildwood this January. She also purchased the Pond Inn property, indicating she hopes to reopen it in early April as a restaurant bearing its former name, Pond Inn. Wildwood director of planning and parks Joe Vujnich said Monday he also was aware of the April target date.

The property includes the main two-story building, which will house the restaurant, as well as two additional buildings. Renovations to the main building are under way.

Mehard, who holds a background in design and real estate, is redesigning the space herself, according to a blog posting in Sauce Magazine. Construction plans include adding a new 2,700-square-foot patio. One of the other buildings, an old stable, will undergo renovations in fall 2013, she said.

Although the menu is still in the development stage, Pond Inn general manager Michael Sottile told Sauce Magaine last week it would be geared around small plates, and wine would be the focus on the drink side.