Over the years, Twin Willows has been described as a sports bar, a roadhouse and a beer bar. But as it celebrates a big anniversary, you can call the Narragansett restaurant on Scenic Route 1A near the Bonnet Shores Beach Club, a survivor.
It took on its present character when it was purchased in 1984 by owner Pat Durigan and her late husband Phil.
She reports it was an ice cream stand when the train went by along Boston Neck Road. She has an old photo that shows women outside in long modest dresses perhaps from the 1920s. But it was most memorably a beer bar enjoyed by University of Rhode Island students for decades.
"We turned it into a full-fledged restaurant," she said in an interview. They bought it from her husband's sister and her husband. Joan and Bill Shields had owned it for 15 years.
The Durigans never looked back. They established a full menu of seafood and comfort dishes. They expanded with an elevated wine list and upgraded beer selections. A Providence Journal reviewer called his Twin Willows experience "very satisfying" in a 1995 review. The fish and chips he recommended in the review remain their signature dish.
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How many have they served? "I can't even go there," she said. "It has to be in the millions."
A lot has changed since their earliest days when they only served sandwiches such as ham and cheese, BLTs and hamburgers. But for two hours from 4 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 15, they will go back to that menu and their prices. A grilled cheese sandwich and hot dog will cost $1, a cheeseburger $1.75 and corned beef or roast beef sandwiches $2.50.
She's also planned a reunion of the original staff and she has 18 of them coming.
"I talked to one who was a college student back then and is now a grandfather," she said. "There are also several couples who met at the Willows and married."
What other changes has Durigan seen?
She said they used to have a large crowd of sunbathers come in for a few drinks after going to the beach. But as people's awareness of drunk driving increased, that customer no longer exists. People don't drink and drive back to their homes across Rhode Island.
Their Happy Hour specials now are discounts on food. From 3-5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 3-6 p.m. on Sunday, diners can get a Saugy Hot Dog for $3, a pound of wings for $7, Szechuan Yellowfin Tuna for $8, plus $1 oysters and littlenecks, and $5 pizzas.
People's drink choices have changed, too, she said. Diners want premium cocktails and they serve lots of martinis. They like the high-end wine list and local beers.
Twin Willows is family friendly with a game room and large-screen TVs. The restaurant is large by today's standards. They seat 76 in the dining room with an added 35 stool bar.
They have a children's menu, and dishes including sandwiches, pizza, pasta and plenty of traditional seafood including calamari, clam cakes, stuffies, lobster rolls, and linguine and littlenecks.
They have live music on Fridays and Sundays and a trivia night on Wednesdays.
The COVID-19 pandemic was a challenge, Durigan said. They switched to take-out as soon as they could. Though they had an outdoor deck, they also repurposed part of their parking lot for outdoor dining. They still have it set up. "Everybody wants to be outside," she said.
Hours are less since the pandemic due to a labor shortage. They are still open daily but only after 3 p.m. on Mondays and Tuesdays and only at the bar. During the week they close at 10 p.m. and on the weekends at 11 p.m.
Her husband had been in the restaurant business when they bought Twin Willows, Durigan said. But her career had been at the Shepard Company department store as a buyer for junior dresses and sportswear. She was also a service representative for New England Telephone.
But the joy of working with people has seen her develop a passion for the hospitality business. She said the business can run without her thanks to office manager Marti Coyne and her son David Durigan.
The 40th anniversary will not be the last for Twin Willows.
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