Benchwarmers to debut this fall

A sports-themed restaurant serving premium bar food that will offer late-night delivery is to open in Tiffin this fall. Tiffin native Brandyn Banks-Sherer and Clyde native Jason Miller plan to debut Benchwarmers, 105 Allen St., in November. Banks-Sherer said he and Miller have several years of food service experience and he said they had discussed opening a restaurant for a long time. “About eight months ago we really started to get things going,” he said. “We found the location and started getting more serious about things.” Banks-Sherer said the restaurant’s menu would feature sub sandwiches, burgers, fries, wings and alcohol. “We are a restaurant with alcohol, not a bar with food,” he said. Banks-Sherer said the establishment would focus on creating a unique dining experience for customers. “Everything down to the sauces are going to be made fresh for the food,” he said. Miller, who said he has 14 years of food service experience, said the menu would feature 10-12 different subs. He said the menu would change based on customer feedback and suggestions. “It’s going to be out of the box,” he said. “We will have sandwiches that you won’t see anywhere else.” Banks-Sherer said the business would feature dine-in, carryout and delivery service. “We really want to push delivery,” he said. “We want to be the place that delivers the latest at night.” Miller said he hopes Benchwarmers can become a late-night favorite for college students. Banks-Sherer said the restaurant will be open Sunday-Thursday from 11 a.m.-12:30 a.m. and on Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m.-1:30 a.m. He said work still needs to be done before the restaurant can open and he said he and Miller spend most of their free time working to get the restaurant ready. He said he thinks the business will open in November. “We will release an opening date some time in early October,” Banks-Sherer said. “We have about a month of inside work and a week of work on the outside, including adding new cement to the exterior.” He said the building, which formerly was home to Megan’s Alpine Inn, has a lot of history in Tiffin. “People who remember the alpine will notice that it is new and fresh,” Banks-Sherer said. “When you walk in, you won’t even recognize it,” Miller added. He said customers who decide to eat in the restaurant’s dining room, which can hold about 48 people, can watch sporting events on five different TVs. “We will have NFL Season Ticket,” Banks-Sherer said. Miller said the restaurant will feature football field turf and a set of bleachers on the back wall of the restaurant. He said even though the establishment is sports themed, customers don’t have to like sports to enjoy the atmosphere. “Part of our planning is to make it comfortable for a five-year-old and for a 70-year-old,” Banks-Sherer said. He said the co-owners plan to build a patio in the rear of the restaurant in April. “The field turf will lead to the patio area,” Banks-Sherer said. Miller said the idea is to make it look like a tunnel leading from a locker room to the field. “We’ll have anyone who is coming in for their first time sign their name on the wall,” he said. “We hope to give it a family feel.” Banks-Sherer said initially 10 people would be employed by the restaurant. He said all of the staff will be from the local area. “I graduated from Tiffin Columbian (High School) and I’ve been here my whole life,” he said. “Tiffin is my home and I just want to live my dream in my hometown while also giving a little something back to the community.” Miller said he and Banks-Sherer aren’t typical business owners. Banks-Sherer said they are just two hard-working people who are chasing their dream. “We’re working class guys, we aren’t rich, we live and work in this community,” he said. “We are putting our necks on the line to try and make a living doing what we love.”