BAINBRIDGE – Established before the turn of the 19th century, the historic Jericho tavern has long been one of Bainbridge’s most well-known landmarks. For more than two centuries, the grand edifice has presided over the intersection of North and West Main Streets. Throughout that long history, it has serving generation after generation of local residents and visitors as an inn, watering hole and even a fine dining establishment.

In recent years, however, the once stately structure has been in a state of decline, as has its reputation. It’s new owners, brothers Jeris and Trey Pesout, are looking to change that, however.

The pair purchased the inn in September, and after three months of labor, reopened in December as The Olive Branch at the Jericho.

While the venture is the siblings’ first foray into business ownership, they are no strangers to the restaurant trade. Despite that neither brother is yet approaching 30, they already have 10 years of experience in the business, gleaned from working at restaurants in their hometown of Walton.

“We’ve been cooking our whole lives,” said Trey, who, at 26, is the younger of the two. Neither has any formal culinary training, having chosen to study music in college instead. But the two are not that far apart, they say.

“It’s just another art form,” said older brother Jeris, 28, who said he loves the creativity involved with cooking.

According to Jeris, after all those years working for someone else, the time was right for them to strike out on their own. Well, together.

Given the easy rapport between the two, and the fact that they complete each others sentences without a second thought, it isn’t a stretch to see them working alongside one another in the kitchen.

There is a lot more to owning and operating their own restaurant than just cooking, of course.

“The responsibility is definitely tenfold,” reported Trey, but both he and his brother say they are up for the challenge.

And there have been challenges. For one, the building required more work than they anticipated to get it ready for their re-launch. Jeris said they had planned on spending a month and a half renovating, but ended up needing twice that.

“Nothing actually worked,” he explained. As a result, major overhauls were required to the building’s plumbing and electrical systems, and some of the floors and ceilings had to be replaced.