Steakhouse to open in Okemos, as Ruby Tuesday closes abruptly
MERIDIAN TWP. - Just as Ruby Tuesday abruptly closed its doors in the Meridian Mall last week, the township is poised to welcome the newest location of a Michigan-based steakhouse on Okemos Road.
Lucky's Steakhouse is expected to open its seventh restaurant at 3554 Okemos Road by Sept. 20, said Lucky Vasilakis,the restaurant's owner.
Vasilakis opened the chain's first location in Davison in 1998.
The Okemos location will be the company's first restaurant in the Lansing area. The company currently operates six locations in Bay City, Clio, Davison, Fenton, Imlay City and Midland, Vasilakis said.
The Okemos Road location near the corner of Okemos Road and Hampton Place offers proximity to Interstate 96, he said.
"I like the traffic, the volume," Vasilakis said. "It's a good location, and there are not that many steakhouses in the Lansing area."
The 7,000-square-foot building was previously home to Gilbert & Blake's Seafood and Steak Grille. The business closed in June after Lucky's Steakhouse purchased the property, said Meridian Township Economic Development Director Chris Buck.
Township officials met with Vasilakis at the property this summer, Buck said.
"This is their newest location," Buck said. "Everyone we've talked to about the restaurant indicates they have a good reputation."
Vasilakis said Lucky's Steakhouse serves lunch and dinner, offering a variety of steaks, ribs, prime rib and seafood, along with beer, wine and liquor. Entree items range in price from $13 to $24, he said.
The new restaurant will employ between 90 to 100 people, Vasilakis said. Hourly wages will range between $10 to $16 an hour, he said.
Management is still filling wait staff and cook positions. Interested individuals can apply in person at 3554 Okemos Road Monday through Friday between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., Vasilakis said.
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Abrupt closure at Meridian Mall
The steakhouse opening comes on the heels of the abrupt and unexpected closure of the Ruby Tuesday restaurant in the Meridian Mall.
The eatery, located in the mall just off Marsh Road for more than two decades, closed its doors without notifying mall management Aug. 27, said Stacey Keating, spokesperson for CBL Properties, the Tennessee-based company that owns the Meridian Mall.
Keating said mall management learned about the closure after finding the doors to the 4,650-square-foot space were closed with a sign placed on the entrance. Ruby Tuesday has occupied the location since 1993, she said.
"We had no indication that they were planning to close," Keating said Wednesday.
Keating declined to discuss the status of Ruby Tuesday's lease at the mall. She did not know how many people the restaurant employed.
A message left with Ruby Tuesday's corporate office wasn't returned Wednesday.
Keating said the space, located on the same side of the mall as Bed, Bath & Beyond and Schuler Books & Music, is "definitely well-located real estate." She said the mall's leasing office is evaluating filling the space.
"It's too soon to give you any concrete details," Keating said. "They will work to find the best use for that space."
Contact Reporter Rachel Greco at (517) 528-2075 or rgreco@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @GrecoatLSJ.