NEW RICHLAND — Changes are coming to Willows Restaurant and Lounge as its former manager, Travis Blake, and his wife, Heather, have taken ownership of the establishment from Blake’s father, Jim.

The change in ownership was in the works for months prior to the closing date of May 1. The response of the community was immediate.

“My wife was working on Friday night and waited on 60 customers, and she didn’t know half of them,” Blake said, describing the wall-to-wall customers who filled the facility after the announcement was made.

The mix of regular customers and new customers is something Blake is embracing, but he still wants to put his own stamp on things.

“I want to get my feet underneath me before I make any big changes,” he said.

The first thing to see changes will be the menu, which, according to Blake, hasn’t changed in six years.

“Our menu is not going to change 100 percent,” Blake said. “We’re going to add maybe a half a dozen new things right away and then just see how it goes.”

He’s currently testing the waters with new menu items. On slower nights he’ll have one of his cooks whip up a new item, present it to a regular customer and ask for his or her feedback. Blake said the response so far has been very positive.

He said menu changes are probably a couple months off — possibly in July or August — and he plans to have a few other changes to roll out soon after. He plans to change the color scheme at the restaurant and order some new furniture.

“It’s time for something new,” Blake said.

Most of the specials at the restaurant will stay the same due to their popularity. Monday is taco night, Tuesday is rib night, Wednesday is create-your-own-burger night and Thursday is chef’s choice, which is usually steak, shrimp or pasta.

Blake said the Saturday night special of pork tenderloin wrapped in bacon seems to be wearing out its welcome, so he is entertaining the idea of making that a pasta night. Willows also has a brunch buffet from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sundays with wing specials running from 1 to 8 p.m.

Willows is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day and usually stays open until 1 a.m. on the weekends.

Willows is at 100 Minnesota Highway 13 in New Richland.