Several area restaurateurs are bringing their talents – and second restaurants – to Traverse City’s downtown.

Italian
Glen Harrington and John McGee, co-owners of Harrington’s By the Bay, tell The Ticker they’ve purchased the former site of The Bay Leaf, 120 S. Park Street. They plan to open an authentic Italian restaurant, which will serve from-scratch lunches and dinners seven days a week.

Harrington says no name has been finalized for the establishment, but much of the house is already in order and on track for a mid-May opening.

George Weir, Harrington’s executive chef, is developing the menu; Phil Iadeluca, former owner and operator of longtime TC Italian eatery Roma’s Italian – opened by his parents in 1975 and run by Iadeluca until 2007 – has signed on to run the kitchen. The restaurant is currently hiring a staff of about 50. 

As for Harrington's, which opened less than a year ago … ? “It isn’t going anywhere,” says Harrington. In fact, he says, the young restaurant’s success is making the second restaurant possible. “Thanks to our loyal, local patrons, we had a great opening summer, a terrific winter. We founded the company with a focus on service, quality food and good value, and that’s going to continue to be our focus downtown too.” 

French
The Ticker has learned that Guillaume Hazael-Massieux, chef and owner of Burdickville’s La Becasse, is opening a second restaurant in Traverse City.

Although he declined to name the location or time frame for the project, Hazael-Massieux confirmed that the new eatery will be the realization of his long-planned authentic French bistro, FouFou, which he’d previously planned to open inside the lower level of the chapel building at The Village at Grand Traverse Commons this spring.

Snags and slowdowns with state tax credits that were helping to fund the chapel’s renovation, however, prompted Hazael-Massieux to abort plans there and look downtown.

Vegan/Macrobiotic
Jason Thibodeau of Om Café, the Ferndale-based restaurant that’s branching out with a second location in TC, tells The Ticker that the natural vegetarian, vegan and macrobiotic café is on track for a late June or early July opening.

The eatery will occupy the Cass Street/Lake Avenue corner currently housing the Loading Dock nightclub, which will be open through the end of April.

Loading Dock owner Ryan MacManus, who is working with Thibodeau to convert the space, is limiting the nightclub’s hours for its final weeks – from 5 p.m. to close Wednesdays through Saturdays – and bringing longtime Loading Dock favorites to the stage for last call. Among the final shows slated: Steppin’ In It, April 19; Soul Patch, April 20; and Liquid Courage, April 21.