The Blue Ribbon Tavern will make history in Olde Town next month as Grove City Borough’s first alcohol-serving restaurant finally opens its doors.

One year and three months after Grove City Borough residents narrowly voted to overturn its dry status, community members yearning to take that first legal sip of alcohol will have the chance when the Blue Ribbon Tavern, 131 S. Broad St., opens in mid-August.

While the tavern has not yet been granted its liquor license by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, co-owner Richard Baker said he was confident it would happen by the time the restaurant opened.

“The application could be approved at any time and I’m pretty sure we’ll get it before construction is done,” Baker said.

Even if the license is not approved by then, Baker said the Blue Ribbon Tavern will still open.

“We’ll definitely open up the restaurant without the license, it’s not that big of a problem,” he said, adding he was just excited to finally open the doors.

According to Baker, he and co-owner Ross “Jim” Nicholson have been planning the Blue Ribbon Tavern for almost 15 months, although the duo has wanted to open a restaurant for far longer than that.

“My partner, Jim, was looking to open a restaurant for several years and when Grove City went wet, it was a no-brainer,” Baker explained. “It’s Jim’s hometown so it wasn’t a very difficult decision.”

Baker, originally from West Middlesex, also said he was familiar with Grove City, as he attended nearby Slippery Rock University. In fact, his connections at SRU led him to snag one of the head cooks for the Blue Ribbon Tavern.

Co-executive chef Aaron Churchill has 11 years of culinary experience, including positions at North Country Brewery and Palmers Taproom & Grille in Slippery Rock. Baker said he met Churchill while in college and offered him an executive chef position at Blue Ribbon Tavern based on his skills.

The other executive chef, Justin Burk, also has an impressive resume.

Burk, a native of Mercer, graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., and his eight-year tenure includes serving as chef de partie and demo chef at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, according to a press release.

Burk also interned under nationally-renowned Chef Paul Prudhomme at K-Paul’s Restaurant in New Orleans.

“He just moved back to town from New Orleans and was looking for work,” Baker said. “He and Jim know each other, so Jim got in contact with him and offered the job.”

According to Baker, the duo of chefs have been hard at work crafting a menu.