Seven months after the business opened, Eric Laiti, manager and owner of Wicked Wilderness Pub, is excited about delving further into the local community.
Initially, he viewed Wicked Wilderness as targeting more of the tourist contingency, but he is ready for the business to expand outside of that. “I want to have it all, as far as being able to provide a service to everybody,” Laiti said.
One of the ways he wants to support the local community is by promoting events. He sponsored ArtSpring the last three years and recently began hosting an open mic night. He would like to implement a taste of the town event that highlights the local business and restaurants.
“We love Davis, and we think it’s a place that can become a destination, and I’m hoping we can accentuate that with this restaurant,” he said. He hopes the theme of the restaurant will especially accentuate the wild and remote offerings of the area as well as add to the identity of Davis. “I think Davis has the opportunity to be its own entity that is a little bit different from Thomas,” he said.
Business is steady so far for Wicked Wilderness. Christmas was so busy and successful Laiti renamed it “Hallelujah week” instead of “hell week.”
The menu items were chosen by Laiti and his staff, all of which are made in house.
Wicked Wilderness hosts a diverse range of live music every Saturday night. “I kind of want to mix it up, I’m not stuck on one genre,” Laiti said. For most nights, there is no cover charge.
For 15 years, Laiti and his family have traveled to Tucker County to enjoy its splendor. “We were hooked on this place,” Laiti said.
Laiti purchased the building in Davis two years ago. It was formerly a thrift shop and laundromat. Most of the remodeling and renovating was completed by Laiti, himself. “I’m a busybody, so this was my building project for two and a half years.”
Laiti lives in Fairfax fulltime, where he owns an information technology contracting business, which makes Wicked Wilderness a completely new endeavor for him.
The hours of operation are Thursday, 4:30 to 10 p.m., Friday, 4:30 p.m. to 12 a.m., Saturday, 12 p.m. to 12 a.m., and Sunday, 2 to 9 p.m.