An application by Reno’s Sports Bar and Grill, 1310 Abbot Road, for a modified special use permit and site plan was reviewed at the East Lansing Planning Commission’s meeting Wednesday.
The application includes plans to expand and modify several areas of the restaurant.
Restaurant owner Jessie Stipcak said she hopes the changes made will give the restaurant a modern, polished look, while creating more space and increasing sales.
Stipcak said construction is scheduled to begin in late August and be completed in October.
The exact cost of the project is unknown but is expected to be more than $100,000.
The restaurant will remain open during construction and Tim Schmitt, community development analyst for East Lansing, said he does not expect the changes to be very extensive.
Schmitt said Reno’s application is identical to the one submitted in 2008, which was approved, but yielded no results.
Stipcak said the restaurant began making preparations for expansion years ago and has been waiting for the best time to begin the process.
One major change will be to the enclosure of the building’s outdoor patio. Extending the patio’s roofing and adding glass doors to the area will allow the patio to be closed off if the weather gets colder, allowing the restaurant to keep the area open longer, Stipcak said.
Another major change will be to the restroom area.
Currently, the restroom area is too small for the amount of customers the restaurant has on a busy night, Stipcak said. With the expansion, the area will triple in size, and an additional area also will be built.
One of three bar areas also will be affected during the expansion.
The lower bar area, which is inside the restaurant and backs up to the patio, will be extended, allowing customers to come directly inside from the patio.
An expansion to the northeast section of the building will create additional space, allowing for more room for private parties and meetings.
The space currently reserved for parties tends to fill up quickly, but the expansion will create more rooms to be used for parties, Stipcak said.
Bath, Mich., resident Mary Scherer said she believes the expansion will help draw more customers to the restaurant.
“When (my husband and I) were there, it was really noisy and crowded,” Scherer said. “For me being older, I think they might draw a little older crowd if they have not so much noise and so many crowds.”
Scherer said the restaurant’s noisy atmosphere affected her overall dining experience, deterring her from returning.
“I may go there more often now,” Scherer said.
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