By Scott Swanson
Lebanon Local
When Janice and Janelle Jackola founded their downtown Sugar Vibes donut shop 3½ years ago, Janelle already had bigger plans.
They’ve come to fruition with the grand opening on Dec. 28 of The Cellar, a fine dining and wine establishment that takes over when the donut shop is done for the day.
“I wanted to do this from the beginning, to start one thing first, then go to the next,” said Janelle, the younger half of what her mom calls a “mother-daughter duo.”
“We kind of designed the building eventually to do both,” Janelle said.
When The Cellar gets underway, the staff closes off the donut display cases at the rear of the main room with burlap curtains made from sacks in which the establishment’s coffee is delivered.
They hang some pictures, readjust the décor a bit; Chef Kaity Betar fires up her stove and they’re ready to go.
The Cellar is open Wednesdays through Saturdays from 4 to 9 p.m. and Sundays from 3 to 8. It serves appetizers (cheese plates, steak crostini, a Charcuterie plate), designer salads and a variety of small-plate fare, along with dessert (affogato, mini whipped cheesecake).
“We strive for quality food,” Janelle said. “The trend these days is toward a smaller plate.”
The menu will change every quarter, she said. They said they plan to host a “black-tie” event every other month.
The Cellar’s wine list offers 13 varieties, from as far away as New Zealand and Italy, to Northwest vintages. Also on the menu are craft beers and a variety of craft cocktails. They also offer a non-alcoholic menu.
“We’ve seen that brewpubs and microbrews are popular, but we wanted to do something a little different,” Janice said. “Janelle did 98 percent of this.”
Response has been “good,” they said, though some people have been confused by the dual-purpose use of space. Patrons have to be 21, but they range all the way up to “70s, 80s – all ages,” she said.
They don’t take reservations and they’re keeping it small, “for small-group ambiance.”
“We saw the need for something unique,” Janice said. “We had this space and the community likes this space. It’s donuts first and then we came up with this.
“It’s real cozy at night.”