With hopes of gaining customers and a fresh look, Subway is closing the doors at its West Grand River Avenue location to relocate to the City Center Condominiums building in downtown East Lansing.
The restaurant has outgrown the west-end location at 124 W. Grand River Ave., owner Ken Adams said. The old location is set to close on Monday or Tuesday, with the new store to open by the end of the week - in time for the MSU football game Sept. 14.
“Our whole concept of a Subway restaurant has outgrown the location,” Adams said, adding that the space used to be the old East Lansing State Bank. “The space is very tiny and our business volume is too large.”
Adams said the store was due for a new look but he didn’t want to waste money redesigning since he knew a move was in the near future.
“We’ve been looking to relocate for a while,” said Adams, who owns all five Subway restaurants in the East Lansing area. “We were due for a redesign but instead of remodeling twice, we were just waiting to find a new spot.”
Adams found what he considers to be the perfect spot at 330 Albert Ave.
“We have found a spot to our liking,” he said. “We’re building a new state-of-the-art store with seating for 44 people as opposed to seating for 12. The new store is three times larger than the old one and it has two entrances.”
Customers will be able to enter the store from the alley or from its main Albert Avenue entrance. The new location comes equipped with Italian designed chairs and tables instead of booths.
Pre-dental freshman Emily Zorza will miss the store at its current location.
“I love eating at Subway,” she said. “And this location is just a quick ride from the Brody Complex.”
Her friend, no-preference freshman Kristine Ridley also favored the west-end location.
Though Ridley doesn’t want the store to move, she understands why they should.
“This store is hard to get to because of traffic and no parking,” she said.
Adam’s company, the KGA Group, recently opened a Subway in Trowbridge Plaza and Cold Stone Creamery, 200 M.A.C. Ave., also located in the City Center.
Ridley said she preferred the old west-end location, but says she and her friends likely are to frequent the new Trowbridge Road store.
Adams said the new shop will initially be open 24 hours a day, making it the second location in East Lansing that is open all night.
“We want to try this location as a 24-hour store,” Adams said. “If it goes well, we’ll keep it that way.”
The store will fit in with East Lansing’s new look, he said. “It has a more upscale, warmer look than the traditional Subway,” said Adams, noting that the new restaurant will have restrooms.
Adams added that the new place is “much brighter with its new lighting and wall mural.”
Carol Wu, a 2001 graduate, said she expects the new location to be successful because of its prime location.
“The 24 hours will work well at that location,” she said. “It’s close to the bars. When everyone leaves the bar they will want to eat.”
