RACINE COUNTY The Racine County Sheriffs Office is warning drivers to obey closed construction areas or receive fines.

Construction of the roundabout at highways 20 and 75 began Thursday, closing down the intersection to traffic, but a number of drivers have been ignoring the closed signs and even moving barricades, said Sgt. David Coughlin of the Sheriffs Office.

The Sheriffs Office is putting extra attention out there and violators will be ticketed, he said. The fine for failing to obey a construction zone sign is $213, he said.

The bottom line is that construction workers need to be protected.

Im not going to have a construction worker run over because their GPS is telling them to go that way, Coughlin said of drivers.

Drivers, even local residents, should follow detour signs, he said. The construction is set to go into October.

But staff at the Dover Inn, the landmark restaurant located at the southeast corner of the intersection, are worried about how to get customers to and from the eatery. Proprietor Joe Gruber said he didnt want customers to avoid heading to the inn out of fear of being ticketed.

This is going to scare off a lot of people in my eyes, said Gruber, who was planning on meeting with sheriffs personnel today for clarifications.

He was also worried about golfers who are coming to the restaurant this Saturday from throughout southeast Wisconsin for the Dover Inns annual golf outing and how motorcyclists will get there for several poker runs that have been scheduled.

Gruber was off on Thursday and had not checked on all routes available to get to the inn. But he understands that state Department of Transportations posted detour is the best way: By taking Highway A (Plank Road) to Highway 75 and then heading north to the restaurant. Gruber was unsure as of Thursday if there was a way to get to the restaurant on Highway 75 from the north.

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As roundabout construction begins, sheriff's office warns of fines

TWIN FALLS Grand Slam fans soon will have an opportunity to step up to the plate in Twin Falls.

A Dennys restaurant is under construction and its opening is about two months away.

We own the one in Burley, so were opening one in Twin, said co-owner Justin Silcock.

Silcocks partners are brothers Todd and Thomas Peterson. They opened the Burley location in April 2013. The new location, at 291 Pole Line Road in Twin Falls, will be completed this fall.

The partners have a history with nationwide restaurant chain, which was founded in 1953. Silcock owns A-1 Booth Manufacturing, a Burley-based company started by his father Richard that has been building and remodeling Dennys interiors throughout the U.S. for about 30 years. Petersons brother Todd works for Silcock.

We did most of the construction on the building in Burley, said Thomas Peterson, who oversees restaurant operations at the Burley location.

When construction in Twin Falls is complete, the restaurant will be staffed and new employees will be trained. Management already has been hired and trained, Peterson said.

The partners hired about 100 people when they opened the Burley location.

The restaurant will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including all holidays.

Weve been open 15 months in Burley and havent closed a day, Peterson said.

Link:
Burley Dennys Owners Expand to Twin Falls

There were a couple of stories of note on the food and beverage front last week. Kevin Sbraga, a winner of Bravos Top Chef and owner of two restaurants in Philadelphia, will open a restaurant in 220 Riverside early next year.

Later next year, the Master Brewers Association of the Americas will hold its annual conference here. About 500 of the top beer brewers in the country will be in Jacksonville for four days to discuss their craft.

Both of those should produce a bit of the same result raising Jacksonvilles stature on the national scene. Is that important? I dont know, but its kind of cool to have Jacksonvilles name pop up in national conversations about food and drink.

Sbraga and the brewers group could have gone anywhere. They chose here.

Of course, after the Times-Unions story about Sbraga coming here, Philadelphia magazine ran this headline: Kevin Sbraga Opening a New Restaurant in Jacksonville?

HOMES

Tamaya, ICI Homes large development at Beach and Kernan boulevards, is ahead of the schedule. Sales began four months ago and, through the end of July, 40 homes sold at $300,000-$600,000. That was the goal for the year.

The first phase has 169 home sites and design/permitting has begun on Phase II with 146 home sites. The eventual plan is 2,400 homes.

Construction will begin this fall on an 11,000-square-foot amenity center and a permanent entrance on Beach Boulevard with 30-foot columns.

Right next door at Terra Costa, where Standard Pacific of Florida just got permits totaling $3.4 million for its amenity center and permits for eight townhomes, $210,110-$284,000. Plans call for 102 single-family home and 166 townhomes.

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Sunday Business Notebook

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -

Construction on a new 24-hour restaurant has been halted until a decision is made on how wide the sidewalk around the business will be to meet MDHA requirements.

The Diner would be a four- level restaurant serving food 24-hours a day at the corner of Demonbreun and Third Avenue South.

The restaurant is being opened by the owners of Tootsies Orchid Lounge, Rippys Bar and Grill and Honky Tonk Central on Broadway.

However, The Diner will not be a honky tonk, nor will it feature live music, according to General Manager Jonathon Scott who is helping with the design and layout of the restaurant.

I was super excited. It was right in my wheel house, he said. I am a food guy. I worked at The Palm and Steakhouse for the majority of my career, so I was excited to have the chance to be a part of the 24-hour diner.

Owners of The Diner told News 2 during construction, NES required the builders to construct an underground vault to house transformers.

During construction of the vault, the walls of the building became unstable and the crew demolished them. That meant the majority of the building was demolished and changed how Metro classified the construction project.

Initially, the owners planned to keep more than 50% of the existing structure, so the city classified the project as a remodel.

Once the majority of the building was gone, the city then classified the building project as new construction. That then gave MDHA jurisdiction over the project because MDHA oversees the Rutledge Hill Redevelopment District where The Diner would be located.

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Construction halted on new downtown diner over sidewalk width

Carolina Bagel Company & Deli, a popular New Bern breakfast and lunch restaurant, plans to reopen Monday. Stephan Dentico works from his ladder adjusting AC vents, while Lee Hiner and Brandon Shorer of Bruin Builders, LLC, discuss numbers during an afternoon of construction.

Carolina Bagel Company & Deli, a popular New Bern breakfast and lunch restaurant at 3601 Trent Road, is nearing completion of a major renovation and plans to reopen Monday.

Jeff Wood, part-owner with Charlie Lofurno of Carolina Bagel at Village Square Shopping Center atthe intersections ofTrentand Glenburnie roads, said a grand opening is scheduled for Aug. 7.

Wood said to his knowledge this is the first total renovation Carolina Bagel has received since it opened in 1995. He and Lofurno bought the restaurant in 2008 from the previous owners.

Weve painted and done some minor things (over the past six years), he said. But a complete restoration has never been done. We are real excited about it.

Everything in the restaurant is being renovated except the seating capacity, food and family atmosphere, Wood said.

Unfortunately we cant expand the seating, Wood said. The restaurant has a seating capacity of 62.

But customers loyal and new will find a new ceiling, floor, freshly painted walls, new furniture and bathrooms, Wood said.

Its just a new look, he said. I think for the long-term and new customers the most dramatic change will be the floor. We are going from a tile floor to a hard-wood floor. As we see the progress taking place, which is long overdue, we are both excited about it.

Wood said his contractor, Lee Hiner with Bruin Builders of New Bern, has already done a phenomenal job with the renovations.

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Carolina Bagel to reopen Monday after renovations

MACHIAS, Maine The Machias Planning Board quickly approved a permit Monday night to allow the owners of Helens Restaurant to rebuild after a fire that destroyed the landmark business earlier this month.

The panel, meeting in a special session that lasted just over 10 minutes, voted 5-0 to issue the permit to residents David and Julie Barker.

The Barkers answered a few brief questions from board members.

The restaurant will be located near the former building on the site, next to U.S. Route 1, but the square footage and parking area will be smaller. In addition, seating capacity will be smaller, allowing for 125 customers compared with 180 in the old building.

The Barkers said they are uncertain when construction will begin and they have not yet selected a general contractor for the project.

In the permit application, they estimated the new building would cost $1 million or more to construct. The application included a preliminary sketch depicting the layout of the building interior, which shows a slightly different configuration than the previous structure.

Investigators from the state fire marshals office were unable to pinpoint the cause of the early morning fire on July 11.

Firefighters from several nearby communities were summoned to the blaze but were unable to save the restaurant. Guests at the nearby Machias Motor Inn were evacuated but that building was saved.

The restaurant employed about 50 workers at the time of the fire. An online fundraising campaign to benefit workers, which had a goal of $20,000, has collected more than $30,000. A number of benefit activities also are being planned in the community to raise more funds for the restaurant employees.

State officials have waived a requirement that affected employees look for jobs while they collect unemployment benefits, a move that will allow them to be available to return to work when the restaurant reopens.

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Helens Restaurant gets permit to rebuild

CTV Montreal Published Sunday, July 27, 2014 2:39PM EDT Last Updated Sunday, July 27, 2014 6:31PM EDT

Its familiar and unfortunate tale for Montreal small business owners construction is forcing a restaurateur to close up shop.

The latest casualty is Comme Chez Soi, a restaurant on St. Laurent Blvd. in the PlateauMont Royal borough.

Owner Stephane Francois blames the slow pace of condo construction next door, which began last winter, for killing his business.

The last three months have been a nightmare for me because of the concrete mixers, big trucks, the noise, dust, the sidewalk being blocked by the city for security purposes, and (eventually) customers werent coming anymore, he said.

Francois says he tried to get help from the borough but got little sympathy.

(They) told me, you know, we can't make an omelette without cracking the eggs, something like that? And it was a sad sad thing to hear from someone working for the city, he said.

Andrew Gryn was planning to hold his 65th birthday party at the restaurant and says hes heartbroken thats closing.

His place was very wholesome, great place, a gathering place, and unfortunately it just got crushed, he said.

Local entrepreneur George Lallis said he feels something more could have been done.

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Montreal restaurateur says construction killed his business

July 27, 2014 Monical's to rebuild Tilton restaurant

Staff Report The Commercial-News The Commercial-News Sun Jul 27, 2014, 01:50 AM CDT

TILTON Local residents could be enjoying Monicals pizza in Tilton by the end of this year.

Monicals corporate officials issued a press release Friday outlining the rebuilding of the restaurant that was damaged by fire on April 24.

According to the company, construction is expected to begin on a new Monicas Pizza restaurant at the old Tilton location, 1628 Georgetown Road, by the end of the coming week. Work will be completed before the holidays.

Changes are in store for customers of the rebuilt restaurant, with a contemporary dining room with additional seating among the changes. The new Monicals Pizza also will include a completely reconstructed kitchen.

Janelle Reents, president of Monical Pizza Corporation, complimented the patience and overwhelming support weve received from the Tilton community, restaurant team and city officials, according to the release.

Tilton Fire Department, as well as firefighters from several other departments, responded to the fire around 4:30 p.m. April 24. Originally reported as a brush fire in mulch outside the restaurant, it was quickly determined the fire had crept inside the walls of the restaurant.

Firefighters had to pull down two ceilings in the building chasing flames throughout the building.

The fire started in almost the same location as a fire that ignited last year outside the Monicals. Firefighters blamed a cigarette found at the site of the April blaze as the cause of the fire.

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Monical's to rebuild Tilton restaurant

TAMPA Restaurateur Michelle Baker's cellphone is blowing up with Facebook messages. A great-grandmother of a pioneering Florida Cracker cattle family has a hand-me-down recipe for squirrel stew to share, as well as stories about foodways that disappear with every generation.

Baker and her chef husband, Greg, became amateur culinary historians after they decided the menu for their upcoming restaurant in Seminole Heights, Fodder & Shine, would draw inspiration from the ingredients and cooking style of Florida's pioneers, from pre-Civil War to the Depression. Much of that cooking heritage was maintained by Florida Cracker cattle families who had to make the most of limited ingredients in a rugged land.

It's a largely undocumented time, Michelle Baker said. We've been reaching out to people who have old lineage in Florida. Oral histories. Family cookbooks.

Construction on Fodder began this week at the site of a former body shop and dry cleaner at 5910 N. Florida Ave., about a half-mile north of Hillsborough Avenue. The 8,400-square-foot, 116-seat restaurant and bar is expected to open in November.

It's the second restaurant for the Bakers, who in 2010 opened The Refinery in Seminole Heights. The restaurant, which features an eclectic blend of culinary styles with an emphasis on seasonal and local ingredients, earned national acclaim and has garnered Baker several James Beard award semifinal nominations as chef.

Baker originally considered following up The Refinery with an Asian street food restaurant but reconsidered after a conversation with celebrity chef Mario Batali, who visited their restaurant two years ago.

He said it was a solid idea, but there was a tone in his voice, Greg Baker said. Soon after that, stoner Asian food took off everywhere around the country. I thought, 'Why do I want to be making fried rice tacos?'

Florida heritage and history has been a passion for the couple, especially considering that Michelle Baker's family roots trace to the early 1900s in Plant City, and to the 1700s in the southern United States. The couple bought the Florida Avenue property for Fodder 16 months ago with the plan to celebrate the state's largely uncelebrated foodways.

We're tired of people looking at Florida and not taking it seriously, Greg Baker said. It has changed tremendously throughout the years. There is some killer old-school Florida food.

Cracker family cuisine was forged during a rugged time in the state's early history, following great upheaval after colonization by the Spanish and English and the three Seminole Wars.

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Eatery will channel true Old Florida

Ramiro and Lupe Vazquez bought Guadalajara Restaurant six years ago because they liked the homemade Mexican food.

With no previous restaurant experience, they could not have dreamed that in June they would open an expansion to their successful downtown Muscatine restaurant with a third dining room and brand new commercial kitchen.

The Vazquezes, who own all three buildings on E. Second Street that now house Guadalajara on the ground floor, first considered an expansion when they found out that Snackers 2, a former breakfast and lunch shop run by Goodwill of the Heartland, would be moving out of the third building.

"Once the main person contacted us and said they were moving, then we really looked into it," Lupe Vazquez said. "I always wanted a new kitchen ... different layout, and back here [in the old kitchen it] was a little harder to do because ... it would have meant closing for a little while. So we thought, 'what if we moved the kitchen to that area and then expand there?'"

North Construction in Muscatine also owned by the Vazquezes, who live in Muscatine did all of the construction work on the new building, which took eight months to complete. The expansion, which opened in June, includes the commercial kitchen with a walk-in cooler, and 13 new tables in the dining area, some of which are larger booths that seat eight. The new area also boasts high ceilings, four flat screen TVs, and a large window for patrons to see into the kitchen.

Juan Periaez of Muscatine, a cook at Guadalajara, said the kitchen staff is happy in their new cooking quarters.

"We can get organized better and easier," he said. "There's more coordination so we can do things a lot faster."

Maribel Ruiz of Muscatine is one of the restaurant's managers and said customers have made positive comments on the new section.

"There is more seating area, so people don't really have to wait that long," she said. "Sometimes it gets really busy."

When the Vazquezes first bought Guadalajara, they employed two waitresses and one cook at the former location on the other side of 2nd Street. Today, they have four cooks, a 24-person wait staff and can serve up to 232 customers at full capacity.

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Guadalajara Restaurant opens new dining area, kitchen