OUR
STORY
Meet the Heart
Behind Rustic Ridge
Hi friends, I'm Char
If there's one thing you should know about me, it's this ... I'm not a hospitality expert. I'm simply someone who believes in treating people right, creating a welcoming atmosphere, and building something meaningful for our community.
What started as an idea quickly became something so much bigger than I ever imagined. Rustic Ridge was built with heart, grit, faith, late nights, laughter, exhaustion, determination, and an incredible group of people who believed in this dream alongside us.
My background has always been in insurance. I'm the owner of Penn Summit Insurance Agency, where relationships, trust, and helping people through life's unexpected moments have always come first. Community has been at the center of everything I've built, and Rustic Ridge was created with that exact same mindset.
Penn Summit Insurance Agency proudly sponsors many of our events here at Rustic Ridge because the two businesses truly share the same heart ... bringing people together, supporting local families and businesses, and creating lasting connections within our community.
Together with my husband Ron, and our four-legged sidekick Frankie, we poured ourselves into creating a place where locals, travelers, families, bikers, car enthusiasts, music lovers, and friends can all come together and simply enjoy life for a little while. Around here, we believe good food, live music, great drinks, and genuine connection still matter.
Rustic Ridge was never meant to be “just another bar” or “just another venue.” We wanted it to feel like an experience. A place where you can spend an afternoon outside listening to acoustic music, grab dinner with family, enjoy a bourbon at Whiskey 17, watch a live band at The Pike Stage, laugh around the fire pits, bring your pup along, or run into old friends you haven’t seen in years.
Every beam, every sign, every fire pit, every menu item, and every gathering space has a story behind it. So many hands helped build this place. Family members, friends, contractors, staff, vendors, and community supporters all left their fingerprints on Rustic Ridge. It truly takes a village, and we are forever grateful for every person who believed in us enough to help bring this vision to life.
One piece especially close to my heart is bringing Pinardi Family Pizza back to the table through our red-top pizza recipe...a tradition rooted in family, memories, and home. Preserving pieces of our history while creating new memories for others is what Rustic Ridge is all about.
You’ll quickly notice that Rustic Ridge isn’t polished perfection ...and honestly, that’s intentional. It’s real. It’s welcoming. It’s filled with hardworking people who genuinely care. We’ve learned as we go, overcome obstacles, solved problems on the fly, and celebrated countless small victories behind the scenes. Every challenge has only strengthened our commitment to creating something special here in Farmington.
As we continue growing, our vision is simple:
Create a destination where everyone feels welcome.
From classic car shows and bike events to live music, cornhole tournaments, line dancing, community events, outdoor gatherings, and quiet evenings around the fire ... we want Rustic Ridge to be a place where memories are made.
Most importantly, we want people to feel at home here.
So whether you’re stopping in for a quick drink, a night out with friends, a family dinner, live music, or simply to relax and unwind, thank you for being part of our story.
Rustic Ridge exists because of community, hard work, and the incredible people who continue to support us every single day.
From the bottom of our hearts —
Thank you for being here.
— Char, Ron & Frankie 🐾