DuBOIS — At last, there is an opening time frame for the long-awaited debut of the Angry Goat – an entertainment center and highly-anticipated tourism attraction located within the Doolittle’s complex on Rich Highway in DuBois.
Three local doctors with Penn Highlands Healthcare came together to make this magic happen, including Dermatopathology Specialist Dr. Jonathan Cannella, Plastic Surgeon Dr. J. Ryan Rice and Radiologist Dr. Steve Iorfido.
Business Manager Alyssa Kaczmarek has been instrumental with this entire process, as well as Lori Pullman, who is the bar manager, and will be often seen mixing up drinks for guests.
It is now safe to say the opening date will be in the month of April 2022, Cannella confirmed.
Using modern and updated technology, the Angry Goat offers interactive games like simulator golf and six lanes of ax-throwing, as well as a rustic and modern-industrialized wraparound bar. An area of the spacious building will also be dedicated to holding cornhole tournaments, which has been put on hold for now until the renovations are finished.
There are two golf simulators equipped with a large projection screen and video projector, which emits the image of the course onto the screen, making the player feel as though they are actually on the course.
To test out the venue and all it has to offer, the Goat has been booking private parties and limited gatherings, and will continue to host them until the venue is fully open, said Cannella.
Thus far, ax-throwing has been a big hit with guests. The throwing lanes also have a projector system that emits images, which the thrower can specifically aim for. The Goat also recently acquired new wood for the lanes, great for “sticking,” as well as black mats that will deaden the axes so they don’t ricochet, Cannella added.
He assures people that the ax-throwing process is safe, and that instructions and demonstrations will be given prior to guests throwing. There will also be supervision as people play.
The venue will also serve as a wedding reception hall, Cannella said, equipped with the back patio area. The Goat will be taking renovations for those within the coming months. Wedding goers will be able to choose how many of the Angry Goat’s buildings they’d like to rent out for the event.
Of course, everyone may want to know where the name “Angry Goat” comes from. Well, Cannella said Doolittle’s petting zoo goats, who were normally located in the front of the complex, had to be moved to the back, so they jokingly were “angry.”
An additional bonus to this business, said Cannella, is it is completely equipped for people to enjoy in the winter time, when they need to get out and have some fun. The venue can be rented out for kids’ parties, too, who can enjoy things like the golf simulator, and in the future, cornhole.
The goal was to open when everything is just about perfect, especially the menu and its presentation, Cannella said.
Frank Tokach, a corporate and experienced chef from Pittsburgh, was hired to help build the Angry Goat’s menu, alongside head chef David Sigvaldsen, who has been a daily influence in the entire kitchen process.
The plan, said Cannella, is to offer a menu that sets the Goat apart, including “elevated bar food,” like upscale appetizers and entrees such as pasta, steak and seafood, as well as upscale bar drinks like bourbon flights.
“Menu creation is extremely important to us,” he said.
Renovations inside of the facility began in 2020, and the co-owners had first anticipated opening the venue by the end of 2021, then in January or February, but have faced some setbacks, such as installations in the kitchen and training of staff members.
A renovation will also be made to the middle building, a former cafe, which will ultimately become part of the Angry Goat, said Cannella.
Staff members are really excited, too, about offering outdoor, heated seating, equipped with a covered bar, fireplace, outdoor televisions and several high-top tables. The garage door on the back patio will also be opened during the summer months, and live music will be offered for entertainment.
Phase two of the renovation will also include renovating train cars for onsite lodging for guests, said Cannella. Parking is currently limited in front of the building, but there will be additional parking in the back and side lot.
The venue’s décor is both rustic and modern, equipped with the Angry Goat’s logo on the wooden doors that lead to the simulator room. There are taxidermy goat heads on the walls, goat horns for door handles, low-hanging chandeliers and bulbs that light up the venue and rustic tables and wall designs. Indoor televisions also make it possible for guests to enjoy a football game or listen to music via the “Rockbot” system, free of charge.
In the future, there will also be men’s and women’s leagues for golf, cornhole and ax-throwing.
This is just the beginning, and there is more to come for the Angry Goat and all the future locals and tourists it will serve and entertain.
“Thank you to everyone who has come out and supported us with private events before our grand opening,” Cannella said. “It means so much!”
