Ahlberg takes over reins of Keswick Tavern

           Jim Ahlberg of Delta has a long lasting connection to Keswick. He and his family lived there, and his five children all went through the Tri-County school system growing up. Ahlberg also has a history with food, having owned Ahlbee’s in Delta and established a career in food service. After several years in the trucking industry, Ahlberg returns to both as the new owner of the Keswick Tavern.

            Ahlberg took ownership of the KT when previous owner Shanna Ridenour decided to move closer to family in the rural Des Moines area. The two discussed a smooth transition for a couple of months prior to Ahlberg officially starting on October 17. Since then, he feels business has been fairly strong, thanks in part to regulars continuing to come in and old friends swinging by to see him back in the food industry.

            “We’ve had great reception and it’s nice to see familiar faces that are happy to see me at this again,” Ahlberg said. “The Cubs have brought in people to watch the game, and we had a great crowd for our Halloween costume contest night on Saturday (Oct. 29).”

            Since taking over, Ahlberg has changed the hours for KT, which is now open 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday. On Fridays, KT will be open from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m., and will include a different lunch special each week. They will also be open 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Saturday and closed on Sundays.

            Outside of hour changes, KT is also upgrading its kitchen with a grill and additional fryers to cook more food quickly. Currently, the tavern has one auto fryer, which is used to cook appetizers, wings and pizza. However, Ahlberg wants to make KT a lunch stop, and plans to use the upgrade to serve lunch everyday of the week. Tenderloins, phillies and a create-your-own burger special are all ideas Ahlberg has in mind. He hopes to make the changes by Christmas and add staff to accommodate the extra hours.

            “I’m excited to be doing this again,” Ahlberg said. “I feel like I’m back at home, doing what I love.”