Located east of Fairmont, the Rose Lake Golf Club has undergone a metamorphosis recently with the addition of new management staff.

Jodi Zeitz took over club management in February, and Katie Manwarren began as kitchen manager and chef in March.

The duo brings years of food service experience, Zeitz most recently at Graffiti Corner and Manwarren as kitchen manager at Ingleside Assisted Living. They also share an unbridled enthusiasm to see the club evolve and expand.

“The first thing we changed was the kitchen hours,” Zeitz said. Previously, the kitchen open in late afternoon for a few hours in mid week. “Now we are open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.”

“But if we still have people wanting to eat, we will stay open later,” Manwarren said.

Food also will be available on Mondays, but it will be a simpler fare, such as pizza or hot dogs.

“We are open to the public with no fees or membership required,” Zeitz said. “If you want to come out here for lunch, that’s great.”

“If you want to come out here for a cocktail, we’re glad to have you,” Manwarren said.

The menu has been expanded, but it is not final yet. They still plan to add hand-cut steaks, have weekend specials and bring back the popular rib special on Saturday nights.

The word has been spreading. A simple announcement on the Rose Lake Facebook page created enough interest to pack the club house on Good Friday.

“We did a fish and shrimp dinner with two pieces of fish, five pieces of shrimp, three hush puppies, baked potato and cole slaw for $10.50. By 7 p.m., we ran out of fish. By 8 p.m., we ran out of shrimp,” Zeitz said. “This place was packed. It was just humming with people. Some said they hadn’t seen it this busy in years. There was so much going on with it being a holiday weekend, and we had a packed house.”

Manwarren is still puzzled by the peculiar popularity of Reuben sandwiches that appeared on multiple orders after the supply of fish and shrimp was decimated.

“I can’t believe how much sauerkraut I went through,” she said with a laugh.

Manwarren takes pride in her cooking skills, using as few processed items as possible to eliminate chemicals, additives and preservatives in food.

“I was in the kitchen with my Grandma Manwarren all the time so I learned how to cook from scratch, not a box,” she said. “It’s not about how fancy or how many seasonings you use. It’s if you know how to cook simply. It’s onion, garlic, butter, but you have to know how to use them.”

She uses one of the club’s signature dishes, the roast beef dinner with homemade gravy, as an example.

“I slow cook the roast all day,” she said. “I don’t have to add a lot of seasonings because there is so much flavor already in the beef.”

Rose Lake’s full menu and specials appear on the club’s Facebook page. Reservations are not required, with the exception of the upcoming Mother’s Day brunch, but they would appreciate advance notice of larger groups to ensure great service.

Currently, a staff of eight is handling the duties, but Zeitz indicated more help is needed as they approach the busy summer months and other future events.

“I want to have Christmas parties here,” Zeitz said. “We already have graduation parties scheduled. We have groom’s dinners. My goal is to expand that, maybe have a band or a DJ.

“If you want to have an event here, you do not have to be a member. Everything is open to the public here,” she said.

For more information or to book an event, call the club at (507) 235-5274.