The Dexter Leader
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Break away from the restaurant routine at Chelsea's Breakaway
By Jackie Smith, Special Writer
PUBLISHED: August 7, 2008
Low lighting and a pleasant aroma welcome anyone who enters the Breakaway Restaurant and Bar, located on the upper level of the Arctic Coliseum.
Advertisement
Customers will find themselves surrounded by televised sports and glass-block walls that glow in alternating shades of green, blue and violet.
Rich Colensky is the general manager of the Breakaway, and has translated his enthusiasm and 30 years of experience into making this icy hangout an important feature in Chelsea.
"We're really trying to be a part of the town," he said. "You'd be surprised how many people don't know we're here."
Describing it as an upscale sports bar and family restaurant, Colensky said that since his arrival he and his staff have been brainstorming for new ideas for daily specials, as well as other interesting ways to feed customers.
Some of the most recent ideas and specials include a summer salad and dessert pizza.
Ribs were featured on Father's Day, while on Mother's Day, moms had the chance to eat for free.
One of the attractions at The Breakaway is a kitchen area enclosed by windows so customers can observe cooks tossing pizza and making salads.
Sous chef Norm Sanders says the majority of what he serves is homemade and that he rarely prepares any meals with canned food.
Sanders left his executive chef position at an Ann Arbor establishment when the Breakaway opened in March. He admits his most popular dishes are his soups.
"You won't find a tortilla soup that's better," he said, finding nothing like it anywhere around.
With one banquet hall which seats 100 people and another seating nearly 60, the Breakaway is ready to serve any occasion or event.
Colensky says they can surely meet their customers' needs, whether for a 60-year high school reunion or a worker just off the night shift looking to take time out for him or herself.
"I don't know if you drink at two o'clock in the afternoon," he said. "But if you do, I want you to drink here."
The most obvious features of the restaurant are the spectator windows overlooking both the north and south ice rinks, which give parents a chance to grab a bite to eat, use the Wi-Fi Internet service, or watch their kids from above in total comfort.
"They can come up and sit on a soft chair instead of downstairs on a hard bench," Colensky said.
Including pool tables and several video and table game opportunities, the Breakaway is also a good after-practice hangout for many ice skaters and hockey players.
Colensky recalls a few athletes enjoying a spot in one of their cushy black therapeutic recliners, saying he's seen "quite a few fall asleep in those chairs."
Additional opportunities will arise for customers with the arrival of Chelsea's own Mid-Atlantic Division hockey team, the Tornadoes, and airing the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games on the dozen or so television screens.
The combination of these two events can only attract more business and make the Breakaway a sports fan magnet, brightening the already positive atmosphere.
Because of the "fun and pleasant" environment, Sanders says being employed there seem less like work.
"It's a very upbeat place," he said. "This is one of the best places to work, in terms of atmosphere."
Not all stories are guaranteed to appear
online. The Web edition contains a reasonable
sampling of the print edition stories.
For the most complete news coverage, we invite you to
subscribe
to the print edition of the paper.
Expanded
Web
Coverage
TOP JOBS
