Photo by Kelli WeldonLocal restaurant Cypress Grill is remodeling and plans to have the finishing touches, including a new expanded bar, complete by Feb. 14, owner John Haug said.
"[The restaurant has] been here 11 and a half years, and so we're just trying to invest in the next 10 years. It needed a little bit of a facelift," he said.
The Louisiana-themed restaurant at 4404 W. William Cannon Drive, Ste. L, is adding more bar seating, more storage space behind the bar, pine wainscoting in the dining room, a new ceiling, and a new bar-top made from reclaimed cypress wood.
"We're named after the state tree of Louisiana, the bald Cypress tree," he said. The material he procured for the bar is called sinker cypress—a tree that was cut down and then sank while it was being shipped down a river.
"It has this kind of cool gray quality and a few more imperfections that give it more character," he said.
The restaurant closed for lunch and dinner from Jan. 20–22 and Jan. 27–29 while construction was taking place, as well as for lunch from Feb. 2–6. A temporary wall that has been in place since then will be removed once construction on the bar is complete, he said.
Haug said the restaurant will not be closing any more as all the remaining work is minor.
In 2014 the restaurant also plans to expand its menu by adding small plates and craft cocktails. Cypress Grill also plans to add patio furniture for the area in front of the restaurant, he said.
More information is available at www.cypressgrill.net.
