Jordan Beck | Daily Press John Romps, left, and Starr Romps, co-owners of the Stonehouse, are pictured behind the restaurant’s bar. Located at the corner of Ludington Street and Lincoln Road, the Stonehouse has long offered a fine dining experience to residents of and visitors to the Escanaba area.

Editor’s note: The Daily Press features a profile of an area business each week. This week’s featured business is The Stonehouse of Escanaba.

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By Jordan Beck

jbeck@dailypress.net

ESCANABA — Located at the corner of Ludington Street and Lincoln Road, the Stonehouse has long offered a fine dining experience to residents of and visitors to the Escanaba area.

According to Starr and John Romps, the restaurant’s co-owners, they were not the original owners of the Stonehouse.

“It started in 1949 — it was called Ted’s Bar and Stonehouse Restaurant,” John said.

The Romps bought the restaurant from the estate of Rudy Shreve in the early 1980s.

“We re-opened it in ’82,” Starr said.

Since then, things have been going well for the Stonehouse.

“I think our business has increased probably every year that we’ve owned it,” Starr said.

During the Romps’ time as the Stonehouse’s owners, Starr said she and John have constantly been involved with upgrades, renovations and expansions to the restaurant.

“It’s just been ongoing for the whole time that we’ve owned it,” she said.

John described the Stonehouse’s menu as being focused on “fine American cuisine.” The restaurant serves dishes such as steaks, seafood, prime rib, fresh fish and gourmet salads. A wood fired grill is used to prepare steaks, ribs, seafood and chops.

The restaurant currently has about 45 employees.

“Many of them have been working here 25 to 30 years,” Starr said.

Starr added her children are among the restaurant’s employees.

“Our two boys are working with us now,” she said. Her son John is the Stonehouse’s chef du cuisine, and her son Matthew works as the restaurant’s dining room manager.

Starr said she and John do not plan to stay at the Stonehouse indefinitely.

“Eventually, John and I are going to retire and our two boys are going to own it,” she said.

She also said she has been glad to have a restaurant in the Escanaba area.

“We’re very fortunate that (we were) able to open a business in a community like Escanaba that has such a high quality of life,” Starr said.

For more information, visit www.stonehouseescanaba.com.