Olesia’s opens new era in Taverne of Richfield’s History
by Wendy Turrell
When the rechristened Olesia’s Taverne of Richfield holds its grand opening in March, it will begin a fresh chapter in the Taverne’s 134-year history. Originally built in 1886 as a stagecoach stop, the landmark has housed a number of businesses, most recently a series of restaurants. Now it is the home of owner/chef Olesia Pochynok’s popular Ukrainian restaurant, which outgrew its North Royalton location.
Pochynok and her husband Joe Butano have been remodeling the dilapidated Taverne for almost a year. The exterior has been restored to its original look, and the interior has been transformed. Butano was the “hands-on” supervisor of the massive reconstruction project, working with Architectural Justice Design of Medina and General Contractor Joe Gallo of Cleveland Hospitality Professionals.
Butano grew up in the Richfield area, graduated from Revere High School and knew the Richfield Taverne. When Olesia first saw it, “She loved the space and the old-world feel … But it was closed and boxed off into small rooms,” Butano said.
Initially Butano said he and Pochynok were “stuck” on redesigning the main floor layout, thinking a new bar should occupy the same space as the old one. Then they asked Olesia’s friend and former employer, notable Cleveland chef and restaurant owner Dante Boccuzzi, to tour the property. Boccuzzi’s suggestion to incorporate the bar into an open dining area was the catalyst the couple needed to launch their vision.
All three floors of the former Taverne have taken on new life. The spacious dining room/bar on the main floor opens to a smaller room (the former bar/reception area) to accommodate private parties for up to 40 guests. The authentically restored second floor ballroom will hold formal events for approximately 120. Butano also added a conference room with multi-media equipment upstairs to host business meetings.
The basement level – which had a brief incarnation in the 1960s as “The Underground” – is now an elegant bar with “a speakeasy feel,” Butano said. He added a patio and plans to have live music. The back of the lower level is a prep room with stairs connecting it directly to the kitchen above. This is where much of the labor-intensive part of Olesia’s cuisine is made, like her handmade pierogies.
Pochynok and Butano wanted to remain true to the Victorian ambiance of the Taverne. They carefully removed the massive original bar and mirrors for re-use downstairs, restored the gleaming wood floors in the ballroom upstairs and added vintage chandeliers. Where modern elements are used, they harmonize with the old, such as in the woodwork and the cast medallions James Justice designed. A modern marble bar, illuminated from below, recreates the same luxurious feel as the original hotel. Pochynok scoured estate sales looking for authentic period pieces, like the Victorian fireplace front and antique mirror she found for the private dining room.
Before the redesign could begin, basic structural problems had to be addressed. “There was quite a lot of movement in the floor of the ballroom upstairs, Butano said.”
He laughed when he recalled being told the ceiling of the main dining room often moved alarmingly when many people were dancing, and the manager would have to go up and tell them to stop. Butano replaced those old ceiling joists far above standard requirements, doubling them for extra strength.
There are new bathrooms on all three floors and an elevator to the ballroom, meeting ADA (Americans With Disabilities Act) standards for the first time.
Butano said he consulted with the Richfield Historical Society, but there were not many records about the old Taverne. As demolition and reconstruction progressed, historic elements of the building were rediscovered and preserved. Original fireplace brick was incorporated into the new bar. An elaborate mural of Williamsburg, Va. in the former bar/reception room had been covered by mirrors for decades and is again proudly displayed in the private dining room. Consultants from the Cleveland Institute of Art dated the mural to the 1920s.
Although Butano and Pochynok were unaware of much of the Taverne’s extensive history when they started, Butano said their discoveries during the remodeling process helped them understand its long tradition and importance in Richfield. “We are so pleased and honored to be a part of this community, own this beautiful building and create new history,” Pochynok said,
Feature image photo caption: After the remodeling of the Taverne of Richfield was started, it was found that the 134-year-old structure needed a complete overhaul to continue to stand. Olesia and Joe Butano took on the challenge.
