10/11/2026
I’m sitting here trying to find the words, and for once, they’re not coming easily.
How do you thank people for a night you know you’ll remember for the rest of your life?
I hoped we’d have a great turnout tonight. But seeing so many of you there to celebrate with us… I honestly wasn’t prepared for how much that would mean to me.
When we put the new name to a vote, you chose Luke’s Outlet Bar & Grill. That meant a lot to me then. Seeing everyone come together tonight to celebrate it made it feel real.
A long way from where I grew up, here I am in Clear Lake, Iowa, surrounded by people who have become such a big part of my life. People I first met taking their order, pouring their drink, or chatting across the bar. People I now get to call friends.
That’s a pretty incredible thing to sit back and think about.
To Kalen and my family, thank you for being there through all the work it took to reach tonight. You know how much of myself I put into this place, and I’m so grateful to have you beside me.
To my team: I hope you feel proud tonight. You deserve to. Every meal that leaves the kitchen, every person welcomed at the bar, every job done before we open and after everyone goes home—you help build the place people choose to come back to. Thank you for caring and for working so hard.
To Stone Groove, thank you for giving this celebration its soundtrack.
And to everyone who came out, brought a friend, bought a shirt, tried the menu, shared a post, or simply told me they were happy for us—please know that none of it went unnoticed. You have a hundred ways you could spend your time and money. Choosing to spend them with us is something I’ll never take for granted.
Tonight, we officially became Luke’s Outlet Bar & Grill. You helped choose the name, and you gave us an unforgettable night to start this next chapter.
Years from now, when I look at that sign, I think I’ll still picture all of you there tonight.
Thank you for giving me that memory. And thank you for making this Englishman feel so much at home.
Luke
