SYLVANIA, Ohio — A mainstay restaurant in Sylvania is getting ready to once again open its doors after health code violations shut it down in 2018.
For nearly two years, a building on the corner of Holland Sylvania Road and Brint Road has been collecting dust and snow.
But now, the old Village Inn is getting a new life.
"When you come in, you're going to see it will be totally different," Jeremy Fitzgerald, one of the restaurant's new co-owners, said. "There's a lot more brick and there's oak and it's going to be a lot more open than what it used to be."
Fitzgerald and his partners purchased this building and plan on renaming it "The VI."
He wanted to wait until it's ready to show it off more but invited WTOL 11 in for a first look Monday.
"This is going to have a great neighborhood feel to it," Fitzgerald said. "Neighborhood sports bar, we're going to have about 20 TVs, your basic sports bar menu, but then we're also bringing in some new hearty dinners."
That includes Sandusky-based Cameo Pizza.
"When (Fitzgerald) called me about Village Inn, he said, 'Hey, they've got this cool little building, it's got a lot of history, what do you think about doing it?'" Cameo Pizza franchise owner Matt Keech said. "And I'm like, 'Seems to be a perfect fit.'"
Fitzgerald said he wants the decor to match the environment, explaining Sylvania pride is the look he's going for.
"I live in Sylvania. I've been here for 10 years now," he said. "My kids are going to go to Sylvania schools and the city cannot wait to get this open."
The Toledo-Lucas County Health Department shut down the Village Inn in January 2018 after finding more than 100 health violations over a series of inspections.
Fitzgerald said customers can rest assured it's out with the old and in with the new.
"Everything is completely brand new," he said. "All the kitchen equipment, all new hoods, everything came down. Just the walls (stayed.)"
But overhauling the inside of the restaurant is only phase one. Phase two is outside.
"We're going to have a 40-seat outside bar," Fitzgerald said. "We're going to have fire pits, picnic tables, cornhole boards, shuffleboard, bocce ball. We're talking about adding pickleball courts, volleyball courts."
Those additions likely won't come until the Summer, Fitzgerald said.
The goal is to open the restaurant in mid-March, Fitzgerald said. He is currently looking for 50-60 employees including managers, servers, bartenders and kitchen staff. If you're interested, you can apply here.