There are 55 seats. There will be a handful of kitchen staff. And there will be similar numbers of workers out front.

 

However, when it comes to food choices that will eventually come to Bridgeport’s newest restaurant, the numbers will be limitless. In fact, when Cody’s opens at White Oaks Monday the menu choices will be just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what you’ll see in the days, weeks and months ahead.

 

“We want to be, will be, both unique and different,” said restaurant owner and namesake Cody Thrasher.

 

Many know Thrasher as not only a 2005 Bridgeport High School graduate, but as the operator of the highly successful Hash Browns & New Grounds food truck that does most of its business in the Morgantown area, but has fans and serves people well beyond that city and Monongalia County’s borders. Some of what Thrasher has found to be a hit on the food truck has already been incorporated into the menu and will be added into future of what is served.

 

“We’ve taken the hits from our food truck, where we change the menu every day, and we’re using that for a set menu for lunch and dinner,” said Thrasher. “We’re going to have a turnover time in the middle of the afternoon.”

 

What that means is there will be differences from what is offered to the lunch crowd and the dinner crowed. Cody’s will be open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Thursday and then a dinner crowd will be greeted from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. On Friday and Saturday, the hours for lunch will remain the same, but the dinner time will run from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.

 

No worries if you’re not done eating during the lunch to dinner transition. Thrasher said no one will be forced out the door.

 

“We’ll keep that set menu, but in the evenings were going to add small plate and tapas that is seasonally rotating,” said Thrasher. “Basically, those are small shared plates for people who may want to go out and grab a drink and try a bunch of little things. It will continually be different and we’ll keep that as local as possible.”

 

That isn’t just hyperbole. He said a stringent requirement for the chefs in the kitchen is a regular Sunday meeting at the restaurant. Along with coming up with new ideas, the group will regularly head over to the Bridgeport Farmer’s Market, meet the local growers and hand pick out items.

 

“We’ll come back from that and sit at a communal table, cook some food and talk concepts. We’ll have eight to 10 different specials each week depending upon what we can get at the market.”

 

Thrasher said he’s also focusing on a solid cocktail program. Although he said it’s not a “pre-prohibition” style, but an updated version. He said things like Bloody Mary mix will be made from scratch. And he said depending on what’s allowed, there could be unique things involving smoked whiskeys that are, well, smoked right in front of you.

 

“We want to keep this fresh so we’re going to be competing with one another for creativity,” said Thrasher.

 

For those who think Thrasher may avoid some of the international fare that he has discovered on recent trips abroad, that would be incorrect. The menu features items like Thai Street Pork bell with sweet Panang curry and a Japanese style seaweed salad that includes a citrus ponzu drizzle. And there’s so much more.

 

“This is a labor of love. I’ve got some great people in the kitchen who are super motivated and creative and everyone has a different vision of what they want to do,” said Thrasher. “ … We’re starting out with a menu that is so far different from everything around here and I’ve told everyone here that I want to make that gap of difference further and further as much as possible.

 

“The real goal is to do something that’s not crazy enough where you’re afraid to try it, but beautiful enough that you can’t help yourself from trying it,” Thrasher ended.

 

The new restaurant is situated in the White Oaks Retail Village off of Jerry Dove Drive. It is situated between McFly Outdoors and the White Oaks Salon. 

 

Thrasher also praised those for helping him open the new business quickly.

 

"ECB construction were the ones who turned a 90-day project into a 42-day completion.  Along with others, we completed our task and an untimely manner," he said. "I could not be more grateful for the work ethic and expertise of unmentioned and aforementioned individuals.

 

Click HERE for the menu.

 

Editor's Note: Top photos show some of the creations that will be coming out of the kitchen courtesy of Cody Thrasher at Cody's, which is set to open Monday. Below is the sign that will  be greeting customers.