Barrel and Fork, a popular restaurant on Main Street near downtown Cornelius, will open a new outdoor veranda and launch several initiatives this month under new owner Sean Wilbur.

The 1,200-square-foot seating area will feature a stone patio with tables and lounge areas. It will include overhead lighting, space heaters for colder months and, eventually, a pergola over the lounge area.

Unlike the 83-seat interior and front porch, which are often booked weeks in advance, the patio will operate on a first-come, first-served basis for walk-in business and diners who arrive early for a reservation.

The kitchen will offer a $10-$20 limited appetizer menu designed to give patio guests a taste of the full dining experience. While the menu is still being finalized, plans call for less labor-intensive items that showcase the cuisine without affecting service inside the dining room.

“We want it to be a place where someone can come in on a Tuesday night, sit outside and just enjoy the atmosphere,” Wilbur said. “We envision live music out there eventually — a couple cocktails, small plates, just a relaxed place to gather.”

The veranda — designed and installed by JHS Outdoor Living in Mooresville — is one of several efforts introduced by the management team under Wilbur, who purchased the restaurant in October.

Beginning this month, the restaurant is serving brunch on Sundays featuring Southern favorites such as fried quail and buckwheat Johnnycakes, and mountain trout.

The restaurant also is developing a Sunday evening menu inspired by traditional family dinners.

“Think meatloaf, fried chicken, short ribs — the kind of Southern comfort food you grew up eating at your grandmother’s house after church,” said chef Eric Litaker, who previously worked at Dogwood Southern Table, Suffolk Punch and Church and Union in Charlotte.

Offerings will change seasonally, such as lamb in the spring and chicken and dumplings in the winter, Litaker said.

Wilbur, a former CPA who previously owned Dillinger’s Tap Room in Charlotte, said the goal on Sundays is to create an elevated take on comfort food at more approachable prices.

“We’re known as a special-occasion spot, and we love that, but we also want people to feel like they can come over and over again — not just a few times a year,” he said.

While Sundays aim to be more approachable, Litaker also wants to offer elevated experiences for diners seeking something different.

Barrel and Fork plans to open at least one day per month to offer a special tasting menu with changing themes — Spanish, Asian, wild game, French or Italian, for example — as well as drink pairings.

Litaker said the daily menu will continue to feature weekly specials and seasonal updates, but no major overhaul is planned. Former favorites such as arancini and rotating risotto specials will return full time.

The restaurant will continue sourcing ingredients from local farms while working to expand partnerships with additional farmers and meat providers.

Barrel and Fork also has expanded its hours to attract more visitors to downtown Cornelius, particularly those attending performances at the Cain Center for the Arts.

Under previous restaurant group ownership, Litaker had moved full time to Savannah Oyster House, and general manager Brendan Schwartz split time between locations. Both are now back full time at Barrel and Fork and are joined by bar manager Joshua Sloan, who oversees an extensive cocktail program.

As for Wilbur, the changes to the front and back of house come with one goal in mind.

“My goal is simple — when people walk out of here, I want them to feel full, happy and already thinking about the next time they’re coming back,” he said.