Revamping the restaurant where Applebee’s once used to reside in Simi Valley, Howie’s Grill and Bar hopes to create a casual setting for members of the community to enjoy affordable food and a relaxing atmosphere.  

Restaurant owner Howie Minkow has been working in the restaurant business for 24 years. With this particular project being his first ownership, he wishes to create a long and mutually beneficial relationship with the community.

“First and foremost this is a family friendly sports themed restaurant and bar,” said Minkow. “What’s great is that there are all kinds of clientele ranging from college kids to retired seniors.”

Very few advertisements for Howie’s have been released. Most of the hype has been spread by word of mouth. Since the food is presented in a unique way as opposed to the usual sports bar, a lot of positive feedback has developed.

With 23 high definition TVs inside the restaurant, Howie’s seems like one of the perfect college student hang outs and a great place to watch every sports game.

The restaurant opened earlier this year on Jan. 17, and has already made a consistent schedule for charity nights. Fundraisers are an important part in Howie’s agenda. Another one of Howie’s main goals is to have a great relationship with customers and the community.

Along with a strong standing for helping the neighborhood, Howie’s offers reasonably priced food with great portion sizes and a huge variety to choose from.

Samantha Hucker, a 19-year-old kinesiology major, said she heard about Howie’s from a friend whom she went along with. With no plans to eat, but rather to hang out and enjoy the company of her friends, she thought it was a nice spot. She ended up trying the food that her friend had ordered.

“It was really good!,” said Hucker. “I was surprised and I wasn’t even going to eat.”

Howie’s is planning on putting together special college night events in the future. Coming soon will be a happy hour for college students which will be held on Thursday nights starting at 8 p.m. and continuing up until closing time. 

Hannah Woolverton, a server at Howie’s, looks forward to the restaurants developments because it’s a brand new start for everyone involved. According to Woolverton, It’s a little something for everyone.  

“I think it will give students another place to go,” said Woolverton. “You can watch the games and it’s a good central location for people to escape.”

Howie’s Grill and Bar is located at the cross streets of Cochran and Madera in Simi Valley. For more information visit. www.howiesgrillandbar.com