By Meg Peters
Review Staff Writer
Throughout a year of go-aheads and hold-ups, Lake Orion can finally say Lockharts BBQ will officially be opening next summer.
The owner of Lockharts BBQ restaurant in Royal Oak, Drew Ciora, signed the final purchase agreement for the vacated village hall located at 37 E. Flint Street Thursday, Dec. 11 for a total of $525,000.
After required closing fees, the village is $522,600 richer, which is already targeted for the necessary modifications to the old senior center located on Church St. which will be the future location of Village Hall.
Village Council first authorized Village Manager Darwin McClary to solicit bids for 37 E. Flint St., Lockhart’s future home, one year ago on Dec. 9, 2013.
Then, after securing Lake Orion SA&A Architects to renovate the old senior center located at 21 E. Church St .in April, council approved a development plan between the barbeque styled-restaurant in May.
Although it was initially thought Lockharts would close on the property at the beginning of July, instead an amendment to the development plan was ok’d at that time.
Twice council extended the closing of the village hall property from August 15 to October 15, and then again from October 15 to December 15 at the request of Lockharts to acquire other due diligence requirements on behalf of the restaurant’s mortgage company and other consultants, McClary said.
But now it is safe to say a downtown barbeque option can be expected as early as July 2015.
‘We are very excited,? Ciora said. ‘We are glad the village worked with us for this move.?
In addition to Lockharts, Ciora is the owner of two other similar restaurants, the Royal Oak Brewery and The Detroit Beer Company in downtown Detroit.
He has lived in Lake Orion since 1998, and has been on the quest for an adequate space for a restaurant like Royal Oak’s Lockharts for the past four years, and was fortunate enough to secure the bid.
The Lake Orion location will also be called Lockhart’s BBQ, and will be modeled off of recent renovations at the first Lockharts in Royal Oak, which will take five to six months to complete.
‘It will have the same feeling, the same colors, while being a little bit warmer and a bit richer,? he said. ‘The style will be very similar with an open kitchen with two full bars and an additional upper deck bar.?
The menu will offer 90 percent of the same items too, with slight modification to some of the entrees.
The development plan includes two outdoor patios with an open deck on the second floor featuring a seasonal bar and a roofed patio on the first floor near the well-known brick arches for a total of three bars.
Ciora plans to begin renovations on the project just after the holidays, weather dependent.
‘I’ve been involved in the development of five restaurants in buildings that were all 90 years or older,? he said. ‘I enjoy renovating the old buildings, and love all the old red bricks and the arches which are iconic in the village. We want to maintain that and keep use of the old aesthetic as much as possible.?
There has also been some talk of Ciora looking for additional space close to home in the village for other restaurant ventures.
One possible location to build a restaurant similar to the RO Brewing Company or Detroit Beer Company is the Ehman Center, Ciora said, but nothing is set in stone as he is still looking at all the options.
As for now, Orion Township and Lake Orion residents can look forward to a summer of wafting BBQ and outdoor laughter with another restaurant option downtown.