GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Real Seafood Co. is coming to Grand Rapids.
The upscale restaurant will anchor new retail space at the redeveloped former Old Kent Bank building, CWD Real Estate Investment announced Wednesday.
Real Seafood Co. is taking over the western corner of the property, a space previously slated for Texas de Brazil. Parent company Mainstreet Ventures Restaurant Group LLC, signed the lease for 141 Lyon St. NW a couple months ago, according to Scott Wierda, managing partner at CWD Real Estate Investment.
“That site has long needed a nice full-service restaurant. They fit that bill,” he told News 8 Wednesday.
Texas de Brazil signed a lease for the space last year, but for numerous corporate reasons, the company couldn’t move forward with the buildout, Wierda said.
“(It was) a casualty of COVID,” he added.
Real Seafood Co. serves up fresh fish and top-grade steaks. The restaurant will feature a raw bar, private dining and patio seating.
While this will be Real Seafood Co.’s fifth restaurant, it’s the first location in West Michigan. However, the area is well known to Mainstreet Ventures Restaurant Group.
“They own Palio and The Chop House in town, so they already have a long commitment of success in Grand Rapids,” Wierda said.
Real Seafood Co. can also be found in Ann Arbor and Bay City. It operates two restaurants out of state, in Toledo, Ohio, and Naples, Florida.
Construction on Real Seafood Co. is expected to start this fall, with the restaurant slated to open by the end of March 2022.
“Grand Rapids continues to grow, and we’re thrilled to be a part of the next chapter in the city’s development,” Real Seafood Co. President and CEO Kevin Gudejko stated in a Wednesday news release.
With base construction finished on the former Old Kent Bank building at 111 Lyon St. NW, Wierda says the focus now is leasing. The site’s DGX store opened in June. With the addition of Real Seafood Co., one retail space remains. Wierda says they’re aiming for a retailer who will offer fast, affordable food.
