Two prime pieces of shuttered Suttons Bay real estate are coming back to life.

Inside 111 N. St. Joseph St., The Stony Point Pub is opening as soon as the state’s liquor control commission approves its license transfer – expected any day, Stony Point’s Executive Chef Scott Williams tells The Ticker.

A distinct break from the more buttoned-up vibe of the spot’s former tenants – its location has been home to fine-dining digs like Jim Milliman’s Hattie’s, then Sam Hybels’ Samuel’s and, most recently, Hybels’ Gusto Ristorante – the pub aims to be a casual eatery.

Guests can expect live music on weekends, sports on TV, a street-side deck, and a menu that marries traditional, hearty pub fare with an upscale twist.

Think: apps like homemade tater tots with smoked bacon, green onion and boursain cheese served with smoked tomato catsup, and mainstays like build-your-own stuffed burgers (with $1 add-on options like ham, chili, fried egg or andouille sausage), Michigan fish, and southern-style BBQ shrimp and grits.

The pub is owned by Suttons Bay native Mark Waldrup, who operated a 600-seat pub in Jackson Hole, Wyoming for 20 years.

Corner Hotspot
Although Pamela Leonard won’t divulge all the details of what she and business partner Steve Kozelko plan to do with their latest real estate coup – the former SilverTree Deli building  – she tells The Ticker they plan to transform the 13,000-square-foot structure into The Suttons Bay Marketplace.

Leonard says she and winemaker Kozelko, who also own The Vineyard Inn and Corky’s restaurant just north of Suttons Bay, plus nearby wedding venues Crooked Creek Ranch and French Valley Vineyards, envision leasing about 2/3 of the building to “a nice collection of high-end vineyard businesses and food-related businesses.” They’ll keep the remaining third for their own new venture, of which Leonard would only say, “We’re filing licenses as we speak.”

The pair recently nabbed the building, along with a package liquor license and a beer and wine retail license, at auction for $252,000. (In 2002, it sold for $800,000.)

“Our goal is to do something this summer, but it might ultimately be a winter project,” she says. “If you saw the place, it’s looking pretty sad. So that’s what we’re focusing on now, cleaning it up, getting some new awnings. When we’re done, it’ll be a nice asset for the village again. Hopefully, we’ll get some high-end businesses to join us.”

Think your business might be a complement to the coming Suttons Bay Marketplace? You can reach Leonard at 231-2198-1222.