SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – The Woods, a characterful, two-story restaurant and sports bar located in the heart of South Lake Tahoe, is officially under new ownership. Drew Nichols, previous owner of Primo’s Pizzeria and Pub in Danville, is utilizing his 15-plus years worth of experience in restaurant ownership to tap into The Woods’s full potential.

Nichols, along with his business partner, Greg Russell, purchased both the property and the restaurant from its previous owners. Having had experience owning and operating a sports bar already, Nichols saw the appeal in taking on The Woods. 

However, Nichols made sure to bring along for the ride those who helped make Primo’s successful, including The Woods’s new general, Joe Giagiari.

“There’s always a master plan, and in my master plan, I needed Joe to be part of it – to be my general manager and to want to be up here, which he did.” 

Giagiari started from the bottom as a busboy before working his way to general manager. He has known Nichols for 10 years, and with aspirations to one day follow in Nichols’s footsteps, Giagiari has plans to partake in ownership of The Woods with Nichols and Russell in the future. 

Along with Giagiari, Nichols brought with him two cooks, his long-standing server/bartender, Charlie Lowe, and two other servers who worked for him previously.

With a familiar team by his side, Nichols has already begun implementing changes to The Woods, including new fresh food and drink items, floor changes, an all-new community corner, additional TVs, and handheld computer tablets to enhance the efficiency of order-taking processes. 

“We’re going to control what we can control, which is good, fresh food, fresh drinks and great service,” said Giagiari. “That’s something Drew and myself are very steady on – service. It’s what makes or breaks a restaurant. You can have great food and drinks, but if there’s not great service, a lot of times people don’t want to come back.”

Currently among the restaurant’s top priorities is community involvement. With a newly implemented community corner located just inside the front doors, fellow Tahoe community members can leave business cards, flyers, and more.

“We’re very involved with the community. We anticipate doing a lot of stuff with the high school, the middle school, and anybody that reaches out,” said Nichols, who at his previous restaurant would host what he dubbed “Fifth Quarters”, dinners after the football games for the players and parents. 

Nichols has goals to host fundraisers and 20% give-back nights for schools, encouraging those interested to reach out for accommodations. In addition to a rewards program, locals can get 10% off food and drink with a valid local ID. 

With plans to maximize the restaurant, taking on their first two-story venue is an exciting venture as Nichols said the upstairs will always be open for seating. New TVs have also been added upstairs to provide around-the-clock entertainment. 

“There’s a lot of ideas flowing,” said Giagiari. “It’s just a matter of execution.” 

New menu items have officially been added, including street tacos, chipotle chicken sandwich and wrap, cobb and bbq chicken chopped salads, mozzarella sticks, chili nachos, chicken parmesan, grilled chicken and veggies, as well as turkey and smash burgers. 

New desserts include their mouthwatering croissant beignets which are already growing in popularity. 

Spoil your dogs with an added meal item, puppy chow – owners choice of grilled chicken breast or beef patty served over white rice. 

Giagiari, along with bartender, Charlie Lowe, have created and added two new drinks for guests to enjoy, the Pinktini and the Blackberry Fizz. 

“I created the Pinktini based off the Pumptini from ‘Vanderpump Rules’, because I was obsessed with that show for years,” said Lowe. “I thought it would be fun to create my own in a way.”

Made with Tito’s vodka, orange liqueur, grapefruit and lime juices, simple syrup and garnished with fresh raspberry, the Pinktini is one of their top sellers. 

“I love the orange mixed with the raspberry, it’s the perfect combination,” Lowe added. “It’s a blend of sweetness and bitterness.” 

The Blackberry Fizz is made with guest’s choice of Hendricks gin or Tito’s vodka, with blackberry liqueur, lime juice, and topped with soda water and blackberry garnish. 

Lowe decided to move to Tahoe with Nichols and Giagiari because she believes in their vision. 

“I’ve worked for Drew for eight years this year, and he’s taught me everything I know,” Lowe said. “He’s always been very respectful, kind and caring. There wasn’t even a doubt of not wanting to work for him again.”

You can find Lowe running the bar and both floors, slinging drinks and spreading her positive attitude to everyone she encounters.

New ownership brings new goalposts to hit including showing UFC fights on Saturday nights, a curated brunch menu on Saturday and Sunday mornings, redoing the downstairs patios, and maximizing the brewery attached to The Woods to add to their growing list of in-house brews such as their Woods Mexican Lager.  

“We love to hear ideas from people,” added Nichols. “You guys are our business. We want to thrive and we want to know what people want.”

To learn more about The Woods, visit their social media channels: @thewoods_laketahoe on both Facebook and Instagram or call (530) 600-0921.

The Woods is located at 3115 Harrison Ave in South Lake Tahoe, Calif.