Stewbo’s buying Shackleford House; Lynne Ranew-Mertins joining restaurant group

ALBANY — Stewbo’s Restaurant Group will soon be adding the famed Shackleford House to its growing menu of locations, thanks to a deal that will also welcome widely known caterer Lynne Ranew-Mertins to the Stewbo’s team.

Mobile users can view Shackleford House here.

Stewbo’s announced Tuesday that it is in negotiations to purchase the well-known “Pink House” at 1801 Dawson Road and that Ranew-Mertins, who has been handling events and catering at the Shackleford House since 2002, will be joining Merry Acres Events Center/Stewbo’s, where she will manage the catering operations of Merry Acres Inn and Events Center, while continuing to oversee events at the Shackleford House.

Over the past several years the Shackleford House has become a popular wedding and upscale event venue. Officials with the Stewbo’s team feel it will be a great addition to the group, which also includes Henry Campbell’s Steakhouse, The Catch Seafood Room & Oyster Bar, Harvest Moon, Local Jerry’s, and the Manor House Pub, in addition to Merry Acres.

Mobile users can see interior view of Shackleford House here.

“We kind of feel its the tie that’s going to bring everything together,” said Stewbos’ co-owner David Campbell. “It gives us a whole new level. There’s all kinds of potential.”

Campbell said he hopes to see additional events held at the venue, which was designed by famed architect and Albany native Edward Vashon Jones for his friends, Hugh and Marie Shackleford.

“The families that own the house have been very gracious to us,” Campbell said. “It’s a grand old house. We’re excited about it.”

Stewbo’s President Billy Mann shared Campbell’s enthusiasm, saying that the addition of the Shackleford House will give the company another way to provide a quality product to its customers.

“We do a lot of off-site stuff already,” said Mann. “It’ll be cool to have an off-site venue.”

As excited as he is about having events at the venue, Mann said he is even more excited that Ranew-Mertins is joining the Stewbo’s family and will be sharing her skills and techniques with the staff.

“We’re super excited,” Mann said. “Just the experience alone that she will bring and being able to learn from her.

That’s how we grow and thrive, so it’s exciting. I think she’s going to help in every aspect of the business. Her record speaks for itself”

Through her work at the Shackleford House, as food services manager at Poterfield United Methodist Church and as the author of three cookbooks — “That Catered Touch,” “That Family Touch,” and “That Seasoned Touch” — Ranew-Mertins has built a reputation as one of Albany’s top caterers.

For her part Ranew-Mertins said joining the Stewbo’s team will serve as a homecoming for her. From 1986 to 1992, she manged the catering for Merry Acres when it was under different ownership.

“It’s sort of like going home again,” said the Lee County native. “It’s new territory, but I’m going back.”

Despite returning to somewhat familiar ground, Ranew-Mertins is excited about what she can add to Merry Acres and what she can do for Stewbo’s.

Priding herself on quality of food and quality of presentation, Ranew-Mertins feels she’ll be able to really take what the company does to another level.

“I think I can find tune some of their things,” Ranew-Mertins said. ” Presentation, and taste, means a lot to me and I think I can help them a lot with that. I hope I can make things easier and better for them. I’m real proud of (Stewbo’s co-owners) Bo (Henry) and of Stewart (Campbell). I’m glad I can help them.”

While she suspects she’ll have a lot of work cut out for her once she starts with Merry Acres — conducting training and teaching some of her techniques — she is excited she’ll continue running events at the Shackleford House, which she feels is a special place for not only her, but many Albanians.

“This venue is so special to Albany,” she said. “Everybody who grew up here that’s my age and older can remember coming down Dawson Road, when it was two lane, and seeing that big pink house. It’s really beautiful and there aren’t other places like it, with the hand-carved mahogany doors, that kind of thing.”

The move to Merry Acres will also signify another big change for Ranew-Mertins, who has resided at the location for the past 12 years.

“I’ve enjoyed being able to call it home, but I’m ready for a change,” said Ranew-Mertins. “It’s a big place and I’ve been sort of ‘living above the shop’ for a while now. I’m ready to have a separate space.”

Ranew-Mertins will officially be joining the Stewbo’s team the first of the year and Mann said Stewbo’s will begin planning events there right away.

He also said that despite the fact that the company is simultaneously working on getting it’s other new venture Local Jerry’s, up and running, things are running smoothly for the company.

“We’re busy but it doesn’t seem like it when you’re working toward goals,” Mann said. “It’s all about our staff and our employees who work hard nearly 365 days a year. We know we’re working toward something.”