Brian and Amanda Light have transformed the historic downtown Bryan Ice House from a vacant building into a lively, bustling farm-to-table restaurant that has become a go-to spot for entertainment. That’s why the Lights, owners of Ronin Restaurant, were honored with the 2019 Mayor’s Downtown Impact Award.
The Lights opened Ronin in 2016, transforming north downtown Bryan into a food destination. Set in the beautiful renovations of the Ice House building, the restaurant features an open kitchen, floor-to-ceiling exposed brick, and hand-built suspension tables made from wood salvaged during the renovation. Ronin hosts special events in addition to serving upscale communal-style restaurant meals during the week.
Ronin sits inside the Ice House building at 800 N. Main St., in downtown Bryan – which has an incredible history in the community. The building was built in 1912 as an anchor to the north end of Main Street. It originally held three 265-foot wells and two cement reservoirs for water storage, and later the wells were used for making ice. Throughout the years, it has been home to furniture manufacturing, a tractor dealership, a dance hall, a furniture restoration business, and now, Ronin.
The Lights join the ranks of dozens of other individuals and organizations whose positive impact on revitalization efforts have made downtown Bryan a destination for everyone in the community. The city of Bryan accepted nominations for this year’s award winner in fall 2019, and the Lights were chosen as this year’s honorees.
“Brian and Amanda have done an amazing job of helping the revitalization efforts in downtown north. They took the Ice House, and out of the historic building, have created a wonderful restaurant experience with Ronin,” one of the nominations read. “Their farm-to-table restaurant is a rarity in B/CS, and it’s been a big success.”
Mayor Pro Tem Greg Owens presented the Lights with the Downtown Impact Award at the city of Bryan’s annual Volunteer Breakfast on Friday, Dec. 13.
“Downtown Bryan is thriving because of the individuals who have invested their time and talents into making it a place people want to gather,” says Owens. “These efforts continue to be supported by the city through partnerships to promote the vitality of downtown and the unique variety of amenities if has to offer.”
