Downtown Flint to get two new restaurants

Both businesses should open by April

FLINT (WJRT) -- 02/04/09)-- The redevelopment of downtown Flint continues at a rapid pace.

Construction starts today on the Character Inn, with plans to transform the hotel into student housing.

Two new restaurants are also coming into downtown Flint

As the area continues to grow, George Falaras and the Blue Collar Gourmet Group are happy to be a part of the progress.

Flint's downtown is getting another big boost with today's announcement of not one, but two new restaurants scheduled to open this April in the Community Foundation Building.

"We've been looking forward to this for a few years, and here we are," Falaras said.

The new 501 Bar and Grill, along with Wise Guys Pizza will be owned by Blue Collar Gourmet, the same group that owns Redwood Lodge and Bubba O'Malley's.

"501 Bar and Grill will be an upscale restaurant open for lunch and happy hour crowd. We'll be serving lunch with tapas, salads, specialty pizzas and gourmet sandwiches," Falaras told ABC12's Marc Jacobson.

501 will share a kitchen with Wise Guys, a toned-down "joint" targeting students and blue collar workers.

"It will sell pizza by the slice and pie, and hopefully have delivery," Falaras explained.

Both restaurants will have liquor licenses. They'll be smoke-free, offer Wi-Fi, and eventually will feature outdoor seating at the corner of Saginaw and First Streets.

"This intersection is one of the great places to be in all of Genesee County. It's a great view with a budding transition to us being a college town," Community Foundation President Kathi Horton said.

Launching a new restaurant in today's troubled economy is never an easy thing to do. If you want a challenge, try launching two at the same time in Downtown Flint.  But economic fears haven't been enough to scare off any investors."

"We jump before we think a lot. We believe in our own BS, and it's come to fruition so far, and we're still going," Uptown Development Managing Partner Phil Schaltz said with a chuckle.

These two restaurants are expected to provide 75 new jobs.

www.abc12.com