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

FRANKLIN COUNTY >> There have been a number of changes in ownership in local restaurants lately, as well as developments on new restaurants and an official announcement on Restaurant Week in Hagerstown.

Aroogas held open hire events earlier this month for its new location in Shippensburg at the former Ship Wreck Pub & Inn. Work is progressing on the building renovation, and the sports bar told Facebook fans it is hoping to open at the end of August.

Work is also progressing on Volcano Japanese Restaurant in Chambersburg. The borough issued a building permit for the restaurant in June. Bennett Williams announced in January it had leased 2,600 square feet at Wayne Plaza, 975 Wayne Ave., Chambersburg, to the restaurant.

Construction of the Taco Bell in Greencastle is complete and the grand opening is nearing. Taco Bell replaced the former Arby's at the corner of Buchanan Trail and John Wayne Drive.

Bistro 71 in downtown Chambersburg is under new ownership. On the restaurant Facebook page, the previous owners announced the seamless transition to the Norland Pub family.

Hoover's Grill and Ice Cream, 2019 Lincoln Way East, also announced in late June that it was under new ownership. The restaurant added a breakfast menu earlier this month.

The Diamond Plate Diner is now open at 3875 Philadelphia Avenue, the former Sunset Diner.

The Tropical Treat is undergoing some changes in Shippensburg. The restaurant, which was bought by new owners in late 2013, is currently closed for renovations.

Pizza 'n Stuff, West King Street, Shippensburg, recently announced it is under new management and has new menu items.

Golden Corral has closed in Waynesboro after the franchise could not make renovations required by the company. The restaurant was located at 1543 E Main St. Waynesboro.

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Restaurant roundup: Franklin County area dining news

QUINCY, Ill. (WGEM) - Do you get cravings for Chinese food? Well, soon there will be another quick option to get that orange chicken on the go.

Construction on the fast food Chinese restaurant Panda Express is coming along quickly in the parking lot of Shopko near 33rd and Broadway.

Restaurant officials say the construction is on track with the project schedule.

One college student says Panda Express is one of her favorite restaurants and she's excited to have it in Quincy.

"I go there quite a bit at school," Makenna Merritt said. "Panda Express is cheap and I love Chinese food so I'm really excited to be able to come here when I come home for the summer."

The tentative opening date on the restaurant is September 20 and the restaurant will have a drive-through window.

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Quincy Panda Express will open in the fall

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Photos courtesy city of Cupertino Rendering for "Main Street Cupertino", a mixed-use project slated for the north side of Stevens Creek Boulevard between Finch and Tantau avenues.

Cupertino residents will soon have a new place to unwind with a snack or adult beverage past the stroke of midnight.

On July 15, the Cupertino City Council unanimously granted Lazy Dog Restaurant and Bar permission to stay open until 1 a.m. Monday through Saturday and to midnight on Sundays. The restaurant will have a full interior bar.

In May, Lazy Dog officials announced the chain would be coming to Main Street Cupertino, a mixed-use project now under construction. The casual, family-style restaurant is known in Southern California for its from-scratch menu and extensive bar menu, which lists beer from local and regional breweries.

The restaurant includes a 1,416-square-foot exterior patio and 1,321-square-foot service yard. It will have 240 regular seats, 16 bar seats, 68 exterior patio seats and up to 30 employees per shift, according to a city staff report.

Lazy Dog at Main Street will have the same Rocky Mountains feel as many of its other locations, with rustic decor and accents such as fireplaces and a massive chandelier crafted from Aspen logs, ledge stone, and fabric- and leather-lined booths and chairs.

The restaurant will also feature dog-friendly patios with ample seating and fire pits. The bar and exterior patios will house multiple flat-screen televisions tuned to sporting events.

"I can imagine people that are coming in jet-lagged from some place in the world, staying in the hotel on Main Street, or working late in the lofts who would really appreciate having a place to be after midnight," Vice Mayor Rod Sinks said.

The building exteriors will feature stone cladding throughout, with particular emphasis on the entryway, which will also have steel awnings.

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Main Street Cupertino's Lazy Dog Restaurant granted late-night hours

Historic Schoolhouse To Become First Restaurant At Chaffee Crossing

By John Lovett Times Record

A new Red Rooster Bistro restaurant is being planned to occupy the historic Maness Schoolhouse in Fort Smith.

The Fort Smith Planning Commission approved a request this week from RUM Inc. to zone the unzoned site for commercial use in preparation for renovations to the building, including construction of a large kitchen and enclosure of a patio. The structure, built by the Works Progress Administration, is in the Chaffee Crossing Historic District and listed on the National Registry of Historic Places.

Its a nice thing to get that thing preserved, said Pat Mickle of Mickle Wagner Coleman Engineers, agent for RUM Inc. Its in pretty tough shape on the inside.

Plans call for the 120-seat restaurant to have two driveway entrances from both Wells Lake and Massard roads. Fifty-five parking spaces already are on site.

Construction could start as early as September pending Fort Smith Board of Directors approval next month. The Arkansas Historic Preservation Program division of the Department of Arkansas Heritage also will have to OK the plans.

Ronnie Rouse, a partner with RUM Inc., and property co-owner Jim Meadows said the initial cost estimate for renovations is between $200,000 and $250,000. The planning commissions approval comes with requirements for stormwater drainage and Chaffee Crossing design guidelines.

Brenda Gregory of Red Rooster Bistro said RUM Inc. approached her several months ago.

They said we want to build you a new restaurant and I thought Nah thats all right, and then they said at Chaffee Crossing and my eyes bugged out and I changed my mind, Gregory said. Theres going to be a big demand for a restaurant out there, and Ill be glad to be the first.

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Historic Schoolhouse To Become First Restaurant At Chaffee Crossing

Construction on Washington Countys first Chick-fil-A fast-food restaurant will begin in September, with an opening date set for early next year.

South Strabane supervisors on Tuesday night unanimously approved the final land development plans for the restaurant at the Old Mill shopping center after the fast-food chain requested and was granted a variance on the number of parking spaces needed.

The 4,900-square-foot restaurant with 136 dining rooms seats and a double drive-through will be situated on a lot near Max & Ermas and is expected to open in January or February.

Were looking forward to being a part of the second wave of the (Old Mill) development, Chick-fil-A development supervisor Scott Goodson said.

The vote was preceded by a testy exchange between Supervisor Ed Mazur and the companys local attorney, Jonathan Kamin, over whether the restaurant was in compliance with the townships ordinance regarding parking spaces. Kamin said the company requested a variance to reduce the number of required spaces from 113 to 66, which is closer to its national average.

Sorry our ordinances dont comply with your national averages, Mazur said.

Actually, your ordinances dont comply with anything Ive seen in Western Pennsylvania, Kamin said. Theres no more land to be had for this piece of property.

Kamin said the lower number of spaces is closer to what the restaurant needs because 60 percent of its business is from drive-through customers. He added South Strabanes ordinance, which requires more parking spaces for fast-food sites than sit-down restaurants, is out of whack compared to other communities. The townships zoning board allowed the variance last month.

Meanwhile, a plan to expand a restaurant and bar at The Golf Club of Washington at 599 Country Club Road was tabled because it did not provide enough new parking spaces on the grounds. Ken Westcott, who represented the golf club at Tuesday nights meeting, said he has been given conflicting information from the township engineer and other officials about how many new spots are needed in addition to the 72 spots for the nine-hole golf course.

Im not getting a clear answer on that, Westcott said. This has been a frustrating process. I just want to get an answer for this process.

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Chick-fil-A to open in South Strabane early next year