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The restaurant and bar known as On The Rocks has a new name, menu and mission.

With new management, the spot is switching to O’Rhilee’s Pub & Grub.

“Come for the food, stay for the fun,” a banner inside the restaurant reads.

That line sums up new managers Tina Colclough and Rick Kirkpatrick’s goal for the place.

While there is a bar area in the restaurant, the managers are focusing on the restaurant aspect. They’re serving fresh, family-style meals made from scratch. Smoking isn’t be allowed in the dining area — just the bar.

“We want this to be a place where people feel they can bring their families,” Kirkpatrick said.

They want to capture that pub feel.

“If you look up the definition of a pub, it’s a place where people gather, a place where people share stories. That’s how we want to be known,” Colclough said.

Kirkpatrick and Colclough, who have been friends since meeting as high school sophomores in San Diego, Calif., are both half Irish. They merged their ethnicity with Kirkpatrick’s 20-year-old daughter’s name, Rhilee, to come up with the business name.

On The Rocks owner Dave Kain closed the restaurant in early June. Ten days later, Kirkpatrick and Colclough reopened the restaurant. The two are operating and managing the facility with the intent to buy the business.

They began serving the new, O’Rhilee’s menu on Friday, July 23. Expect nightly specials, such as a corned beef sandwich with sauerkraut, swiss cheese and thousand island dressing. Look for stuffed burgers — half-pound burgers with all the typical toppings inside.

They say the food is far from processed, bar food.

They plan to have live music once a month and weekly karaoke.

Colclough, the cook of the two, has lived in Smithville for 14 years and worked in food staff human resources for hotels in the past.

Kirkpatrick has lived in Smithville for five months. Previously, he lived in Texas and had a career in information technology.

Both had dreamed about opening a restaurant, and when they realized Kain was closing On The Rocks, everything just fell into place.

Since they began operating the restaurant, another human resources job opportunity arose for Colclough, and Kirkpatrick had an opportunity to go back to Texas.

Both quickly turned down the offers. That’s when they knew.

“We know that this is what we are supposed to be doing,” Colclough said.

O’Rhilee’s is located at 101 U.S. Highway 169 in the shopping center across the street from Big V Country Mart.

Smithville Editor Nancy Hull Rigdon can be reached at 532-4444 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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