MANITOU BEACH — The Boot Jack Tavern in Manitou Beach isn’t Johnnie DeAngelis’ first bar — or even his first in the Lenawee County area. 

 DeAngelis bought the Boot Jack Tavern on July 23. He started working in the bar and restaurant business in 2008.

He also owns 12 other bars, including ones in Clinton, Brooklyn, Hanover, Onsted and, soon, Riga.  Other locations include St. Ignace and the metro Detroit area. The Boot Jack Tavern is the only location that he operates with a business partner — James Olson, who is the son of his best friend. 

“I never wanted a bar,” DeAngelis recalled of his entry into the business. 

“I wanted to learn how to play pool, so I bought a bar,” he continued. “But I couldn’t even touch a pool table for three years after I bought my first bar.”

DeAngelis has added some new menu items already and plans on a bigger menu change in the near future. Part of the plan is to add some “home-style cooking” meals. 

“We kept a lot of the items that people like,” he said. “We’ve put on some new items that are going to be on the new menu.”

“We added steaks, a pork chop dinner and a smothered chicken breast specials,” he added. “We’re going to unveil an entire new menu shortly.” 

Changes are also on the way for the tavern building itself. DeAngelis plans to add five new TVs, as well as turning the existing patio into a 1,100-square-foot game room with additional seating, adding a new screened-in patio area, and possibly a rooftop bar. 

  Buying the Boot Jack Tavern is part of a bigger picture for DeAngelis. He said that the more food contracts he has, the more affordable he can make menu items. 

The Manitou Beach location isn’t too far from Johnnie’s Bar & Grill in Onsted or Shady’s Tap Room in Brooklyn, he said.

Having more locations also helps with flexibility with staffing between locations, he said. DeAngelis employs 12 people at the Boot Jack Tavern and 165 across all of his operations. He credits much of his business success to his many long-term employees. 

DeAngelis said that cleanliness and consistency are what he strives for in his bars.

“We run a pretty clean operation,” he said. “The food ingredients we use and the food we buy are top-notch.” 

“We try to focus on consistency,” he continued. “If you like it or don’t like, it should be the same every single time.” 

The Boot Jack Tavern is located at 735 Manitou Beach Road in Manitou Beach. 

Hours are Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. 

More information, including the menu, can be found on the website at bootjacktavern.com or on Facebook at facebook.com/bootjacktavern. The phone number is 517-252-5475.