When alumni Chris Brumbaugh, Class of 1998, and his wife Lynn Terrell, Class of 1997, heard that Sidetrack Grill on W. Lebanon Avenue was closing, the couple was disappointed that the restaurant they loved so much during their time at Elon would be replaced. But their disappointment soon turned around when they decided to open The Root Trackside in its place.
“We had been in Denver for about 10 years when we heard that Sidetracks was closing,” Brumbaugh said. “We thought (opening The Root) would be a good opportunity to come back and be closer to family. You could say it was part of the American entrepreneurial spirit.”
Since the restaurant’s opening in July last year, Brumbaugh said The Root has had great response from the local crowd.
“I’d say we’ve been received fairly well and business has been steady,” he said. “We see a lot of repeat customers, so that’s a good sign.”
And though the majority of The Root’s business comes from Elon students, Brumbaugh said they’re happy about whoever comes in the door. However, most of the students that come in are female and are generally more health-conscious, Brumbaugh said, so it gives him ideas about things to put on the menu.
“We have some good options as far as offering vegetarian dishes and items without a lot of calories,” he said. “We’re working hard to create more vegan options at the moment.”
Senior Pat McLendon is a frequent customer to The Root and goes about two or three times a month. He said eating healthy is definitely important to him, and the restaurant does a good job of providing meals for health-conscious individuals.
“They've got some great salads and healthy pasta options,” McLendon said. “However, I usually go to The Root to cheat a bit on my diet and eat the Root burger or the Shrimp Bel Rosa.”
In regards to their menu, Brumbaugh said there isn’t a specific theme to the food, but describes it as traditional American with a global flair.
“We’re covering a wide spectrum of ideas with our food and menu, and we’d like to keep it that way,” he said. “We have some really hearty beef dishes as well as light fare. We’re trying to not be pigeonholed into one theme. We’ll take anything and everything that’s good.”
The food isn’t the only thing that people seem to enjoy at The Root. As a former Sidetracks customer, McLendon said he much prefers The Root’s overall atmosphere to that of Sidetracks.
“It has a warm atmosphere, friendly people and great food at a reasonable price,” he said. “It definitely feels like a ‘mom and pop’ sort of place with awesome food that you can't get anywhere else.”
And even though The Root has a lot of similarities to Sidetracks, Brumbaugh said they’ve taken what they’ve learned from other places around the country to update the menu and bring in a fresh outlook. But there’s still much to be done as the restaurant receives more business.
“We would like to maintain our consistency, that’s our No. 1 goal,” he said. “We also want to accentuate our specialties and get more creative as we move forward.”