BAY CITY, MI - Kurt Busard knew the opening for operations manager at Old City Hall was a “great fit” for both him and the owner, David Dittenber.
Now, three years later, Busard helps manage all of Dittenber’s Bay City-based restaurants, including the causal fine dining restaurant located in what used to be the Bay City town hall, 814 Saginaw St. While Busard said the restaurant is trendy and hip, the service is still top-notch.
“We pride ourselves on our customer service and our service standards,” Busard said. “We’ve got an assorted menu, and most of our stuff is house made. We don’t cut corners with the menu. It’s a true dining experience.”
The building’s history has also brought in many patrons, as guests and employees alike swap ghost stories related to the building’s past.
“The city hall was built in the 1800s. Since then, it’s had a lot of things come through it, and it’s got some ghost stories,” Busard said. “People have claimed two people died here.”
According to the stories, Busard said one person was killed by a cat in 1920s, and another was killed in a jail cell in the 1800s.
“They claim Table 14 occasionally gets coal on it,” Busaird added. “Employees hear weird noises at night, lights will flicker, all those sorts of ghost story things.”
Besides the building’s mysterious history, Busard said many patrons love that Old City Hall’s menu is “always diverse and changing. It includes staple items, such as the Thai lettuce wrap and calamari, as well as popular seasonal dishes. Right now, seasonal items include a scallop and grapefruit dish and a pickled shrimp appetizer.
The menu also features over 100 different types of wine and 35 tap beers. Busard said some of the more popular drinks include their pineapple ginger mojito, the traditional Manhattan and the old fashioned.
“Wine is pretty much our base, too,” Busard said. “On Tuesday nights, we do half-off wine by the glass. That’s always a popular night.”
Patrons can also enjoy their fine dining experiences in the street outside the restaurant. Old City Hall is one of the many businesses taking advantage of Bay City closing off certain streets to help local businesses limited by the 50 percent capacity rule due to COVID-19.
“We weren’t planning on building a deck before the city closed the streets,” Busard said. “It’s a popular seating option. I would say it’s similar to how dining inside feels, but the deck does have European feel because you’re eating on the road.”
The deck allowed Old City Hall to add 50 seats to its total capacity, which Busaird said has helped the business a lot since indoor seating is still limited. However, the restaurant still can’t take advantage of its private room, which they usually offer for a variety of events.
“We host bridal showers, rehearsal dinner, baby shower, large dinner parties, pharmaceutical events, retirement parties and more,” Busard said. “So not being able to host events in our private is a downer for us.”
Nonetheless, Busard said he’s thankful that business has been steady since reopening for dine-in experiences. He said he believes their diverse menu and quality service has helped bring back patrons who dined with them before the pandemic.
“Overall, our customers have come back and really brought business back up,” Busard said. “Within a couple weeks of reopening, they were back. It’s a good feeling to have lots of community support.”
Old City Hall is open Monday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday through Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.
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