Denny's Opening Traverse City Location
National family restaurant chain Denny’s is coming to Traverse City. The Ticker has an exclusive first look at the company’s plans, plus several other restaurant and retail developments around the region.
Denny’s
After reporting in October that a national restaurant chain was in negotiations to purchase the former Ponderosa building at 878 Munson Avenue, The Ticker has confirmed Denny’s will open there this spring.
Franchise owners Joe Lopez and Rusty Darin closed on a deal for the property Tuesday with Dan Stiebel of Coldwell Banker Schmidt Realtors. Lopez and Darin own six other Denny’s locations and three Quiznos stores in Michigan. Traverse City marks the owners’ first foray into northern Michigan and Denny's sole location north of Mount Pleasant.
“It’s a beautiful area – I camp up there every summer,” says Lopez of his interest in the region. “There’s a good population base there in the summer. It’s slower in the winter, obviously, but we can handle a seasonal store. And US-31 is pretty busy, so it’s a great location.”
Lopez and Darin plan to gut and renovate the 6,200 square-foot building ahead of an “early spring” opening. “It’ll look completely different when we’re done,” says Lopez (see build-out design above). Denny’s will employ 120 people when it opens. Because the restaurant operates 24/7, 365 days a year, the chain is able to offer full-time employment with benefits including “scheduling flexibility and health insurance,” says Lopez.
Denny’s – which bills itself as “America’s diner” – is a full-service family restaurant serving breakfast, lunch, dinner, coffee and dessert around the clock.
White On Rice
On the heels of their first full season operating in The Little Fleet food truck lot, White On Rice owners Eric and Amy Kolden are ready to make the leap to a brick-and-mortar restaurant. The couple is targeting a February opening for the new eatery in Hickory Corners on Fourteenth Street.
“The response to our product (this summer) was great, so it was a natural stepping stone into this,” says Eric. The former Red Ginger sushi chef has earned a following for specialties including sushi rolls, ramen bowls, tempura plates and miso soup. The Koldens will reopen their food truck this weekend outside of the new restaurant space so customers can “get their sushi fix” until the eatery opens, says Eric.
Thai Kitchen
White On Rice won’t be the only new Asian option for hungry diners this winter. Garry Thao – who owns Asian Fusion in Charlevoix – is opening new restaurant Thai Kitchen in the former Spaghetti Jim’s building at 1133 South Airport Road.
“I’ve been looking in Traverse City for quite a bit (for restaurant space),” Thao tells The Ticker. “I like the area, but nothing was ever vacant. It was hard finding the right location.” With a lease agreement now in place, Thao says he hopes to open his doors by the end of February.
Edany BLT
Edany BLT is closing its doors at 720 West Front Street, but owners Eddie and Dani Walker say the company is targeting a summer 2016 reopening under the name Edany Bistro at 317 East Front Street. Citing building issues at their current location, the couple wrote in a Facebook statement to customers that “a new place is exactly what we need to put out the food we love to do.” The Walkers said they to plan to expand from breakfast and lunch to also offer dinner service at the new restaurant.
Sport Clips Haircuts
National haircut franchise Sport Clips is launching a Traverse City location. Owners Rick and Nancy Ohle will open the store February 2 at 2508 Crossing Circle next to LA Nails and Home Depot. The company, which specializes in hair care for men and boys, is known for its “fun, casual environment” offering large flat-screen TVs playing sports programming at each station. Sport Clips also offers massaging shampoos, hot-steamed towels and neck and shoulder treatments. The store will operate Monday-Friday from 9am-8pm, Saturday from 9am-6pm and Sunday from 10am-5pm.
Wet Mitten Surf Shop
Stand-up paddleboard, surf and skate store Wet Mitten Surf Shop has closed its Traverse City location at 118 Union Street. In a written statement, owners John and Ben McNeil said it was a "difficult decision," but that as they’ve “taken on new business ventures…simplifying and consolidating to one retail location (in Grand Haven) for the time being makes the most sense.”
Gift cards purchased at the TC location will be honored and can be used in Grand Haven or else refunded, according to the owners. The company will also extend its “full product offerings and product deliveries to the TC area going forward."