New restaurant at Riverbend Golf Course

It had been a strange sight at Riverbend Golf Course in Kent, Wash. as one of the Pacific Northwest’s busiest golf courses, and to have a restaurant closed for business. That had not always been the case as several ventures have come and gone through Riverbend with hopes of a long-term restaurant deal.

But after more than a year and a half of the door being shuttered, Corey Mason just might have found the right answer to get the doors opened at Riverbend and keep them open.

Mason, who owns and operates a variety of food establishments in the Puget Sound area, had a request for proposal from the city of Kent cross his desk a few months ago to re-open the golf course restaurant. He is a golfer. He is also a restaurant guy. He started to put the numbers together and liked what he saw.

And now, the doors are open for Mason’s Riverbend Bar and Grill – giving the course a place for golfers and everyone else to enjoy lunch, dinner and drinks.

“This is the perfect setting,” said Mason. “There is a built-in golf crowd and if we do it right there will be more than just a golf crowd.”

Mason has plenty of restaurant experience – a couple of his operations are Dino’s in Renton, Fall City Bar and Grill in Fall City and DaVine in Maple Valley.  When he saw the proposal for the Riverbend Golf Course restaurant, he put in a bid and the city of Kent accepted, and he went to work.

There were a few changes he needed to make inside, and he also made several upgrades, including 11 television screens, including a couple of 85-inch giants. When the Riverbend restaurant closed in October 2023 no one knew what would happen. But now with Mason’s vision and name that goes well with the golf course, there are high hopes that the restaurant and Mason will be around for years.

“There has been some great energy for the place right out of the gate,” Mason said. “We have a great staff and everyone is excited about what we are doing here as we get the place opened.”

Mason is excited about the coming summer months. With an outdoor patio out the back door, there are places for people to enjoy the summer sunshine and watch some golf shots. He also plans to bring in live music on the patio when the weather permits, and has tossed around the ideas of golf games on the putting green during the evening hours.

The restaurant at Riverbend has been more of a revolving door since opening in 1989. But now that door just might be done revolving. And Corey Mason is the big answer for that.