Roost eatery coming to Pointe Place

DOVER — Jeff Roemer is betting that his new restaurant and bar in Pointe Place will be the neighborhood bar where people come to Roost, which is also the name of his establishment.

“Roost is essentially a place to gather for comfort,” said Roemer of his eatery that will be open for lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch. “It doesn’t have to do with roosters or chickens.”

Roost is located in the first building of Pointe Place when traveling there from Dover Point Road, and the restaurant's windows give patrons a good view of the burgeoning neighborhood. Roost already has a built-in clientele with the apartments on the upper floors of the mixed-use development and the single-family homes situated in the development.

“It has grown so much, people are looking for the convenience of services,” Roemer said of the Pointe Place development, which has more phases planned. “It’s only going to require more and more services.”

Roemer is preparing to open Roost at the beginning of May once he receives the final sign-offs from city inspectors. “We’re in the final stretch,” he said during a tour at 50 Pointe Place on Thursday. An outdoor patio is likely to open around Memorial Day.

Roost, which can seat 112 people, will be “focused on our twist on New England/American cuisine,” Roemer said. That translates into “fresh steaks, fresh chops, fresh seafood and some good creative appetizers” with as much locally sourced food as possible, he said. The menu will also include sandwiches and salads.

Roemer made clear the menu would be different from Blue Latitudes, which Roemer opened in 2004 in downtown Dover. “It will never have anything that’s on the menu at Blue. It will always be different,” he said.

Roemer is moving Blue Latitudes executive chef Art Landis to Roost and promoting sous chef David Hawk to be Blue Latitudes' executive chef.

Roost is split into two room separated by an arch. In one room, there are walnut tables, and in the other room, where the bar is located, are maple tables. The bar is made out of tiger (or flame) maple, which gives it the look of a Les Paul guitar that shimmers in the light. On the maple table tops is the logo of the restaurant that is burned into the wood. Roemer said the Dover-based business Vigilant Inc., which does fine cabinetry, furnishings and mill work, created the bar and maple table tops.

The floors also appear to be wood, but Roemer said it is a photograph of wood that is printed on hard plastic that is made to be durable in high traffic areas.

There is local artwork on the wall provides a “coastal cottage type of a feel without relying on beach scenes,” he said.

Once Roost opens, Roemer plans for it to be open seven days a week, with food service from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday.

Information: roostdover.com