Two Traverse City residents will put 100 people to work when they open a new restaurant inside the shuttered Freshwater Lodge.

Former Apache Trout Grill managers Glen Harrington and John McGee are aiming to open Harrington’s By The Bay by May 1.

Freshwater Lodge, a Schelde Enterprise restaurant, closed last September.

“We always thought it was a nice property and liked the idea of having multiple options on West Bay,” says Harrington, who served as GM of Apache for three years. “We were kind of disappointed when it closed because it was one less option for the community. When the opportunity became available to start our own brand, we thought it was a good idea.”

The restaurant will serve both lunch and dinner. On the dinner menu, patrons will find in-house, aged and hand-cut prime beef and fresh seafood like lobster, grouper, sea bass and native fish options. An extensive wine list will be a focal point, as well.

Harrington says they’re working on a “new, great look” for the inside of the leased building, and they’ll have seating for 250, inside and out.

Restaurant ownership has been Harrington’s “plan in motion” for 23 years – or about as long as he’s been in the business. A native of Bay City, he and his wife relocated to TC from Grand Rapids in '08. A TC native, McGee is experienced in the resort and golf industry. They believe their front-of-the house experience will be a “huge benefit” to building relationships with customers.

Apache owner Mike Connors believes the increased traffic flow from another west-side restaurant will be “good for the entire neighborhood.”

Interested in working at Harrington’s? Email your resume to: gh.harringtons@gmail.com.

In downtown Traverse City, a tap room is in the works. TC-based business partners Matt Cozzens and Jim Smolak are aiming for a mid-summer opening of the business at 128 S. Union Street, currently home to Union Antiques.

The name: 7 Monks TapRoom, an homage to the seven remaining monasteries where monks continue to brew Belgium beer according to traditional Trappist methods. The 7 Monks TapRoom concept: not a bar, but a traditional tap room where craft beers from Michigan and around the world will flow from up to 50 taps, and dozens more craft beers will be served in bottles – all paired with a distinctive menu.

The partners are working with local designer Joe Buteyn to create a “downtown city feel” with the comforts of a Northern Michigan atmosphere. The establishment's liquor license application is currently under review by the state.