Rita Srock and Mary Graff have punched the clock for countless hours together at restaurants in their careers.

Finally, they have their own sign above a kitchen, “Rita and Mary’s Fun Kitchen.” That’s because they own the place, The Creek Bar and Grill in Rose Creek.

The duet, together with their husbands, Curt Srock and Tom Graff, opened the restaurant/bar on May 2 after purchasing the building on Feb. 11 and completing extensive restorations to what was formerly Woody’s Bar and Grill. Though locals were left without a community hangout when the doors closed on Jan. 9, they didn’t have to wait long to return to the building that has been a hotspot in Rose Creek for years.

“The people from this area are wonderful,” said Rita, who has wanted to own a restaurant for years.

It only took a few minutes for two couples to breeze in and find their favorite spots when the doors opened at 11 a.m. Wednesday. And apart from the patrons, The Creek Bar and Grill now employs about 20 people, many of them from the Southland region.

After a month’s worth of hot meals and cold beers, the owners are optimistic.

“I think the first month, for a new business, we’ve done well,” Mary said. “Business has been good. People love the food.”

Mary said pig nachos, which are deep-fried potatoes with pulled pork and cheese, have been crowd favorites, along with steak and shrimp. But The Creek Bar and Grill also goes outside the realm of what some would expect. The kitchen serves cakes, brownies and cheesecakes and has root beer on tap. Like something out of the 30s, a bundt cake awaits hungry customers underneath a glass holder at the front counter.

Outside, participants can enjoy a volleyball league each week during the summer, or a car show every other Thursday, starting today, weather permitting.

The Creek Bar and Grill is gearing up for what could be one of its biggest weekends, too, as Rose Creek Fun Days will be held Friday through Sunday July 12-14. The Creek Bar and Grill will offer Friday and Saturday specials, along with Saturday volleyball games, kids’ shoe-kicking contests and three-legged races.

The Creek Bar and Grill is located on Highway 56 in Rose Creek and opens at 11 a.m. Tuesdays through Sundays.