The Pickled Onion has reopened after undergoing an overhaul.

The Front Street restaurant reopened its doors with a soft opening last weekend.

Philip Barnett, president of Island Restaurant Group, said the soft opening was pleasing and customers admired the new decor.

“Everyone was looking around and checking out all the features — we are still going to be tweaking things,” Mr Barnett said.

He admits that new seating has not arrived, so existing seats are still being used for now.

“Hopefully the chairs will arrive this week,” Mr Barnett said. He has received positive feedback about the recent changes.

“We are very pleased with how the opening went, we had a lot of positive responses from both our existing regulars and new individuals,” Mr Barnett said.

“We also had a lot of positive reinforcement about how they liked the fact that it’s more of an upscale look and the fact that we haven’t just put a coat of paint on the wall.

“We literally ripped out every single furniture piece and light fixture and replaced them all.”

Mr Barnett said IRG, which also owns the Hog Penny, Barracuda Grill and the Frog and Onion, wanted to reinvest in the eatery to keep it fresh, exciting and vibrant.

“Being where we are and having the history that we have, we have to keep on delivering and bring that value back to our customers,” Mr Barnett added.

The Pickled Onion opened in 1998 and Maureen Pitt has been working there ever since. She is impressed with the new environment, having also seen a previous major renovation in 2007.

“To be here for the third decade of renovations is a good feeling and I’m happy to experience the changes over the years,” Ms Pitt said.

“The response has been positive and I am looking forward to see many people come and enjoy the new decor.”

The Pickled Onion’s operational hours have not changed.