Lil' Chef reopening Monday
Lil' Chef will reopen its doors to a new and smoke-free environment next week.
The 24-hour family restaurant, located at 1720 S. Mission St., is scheduled to reopen Monday after being closed for interior renovation since July 5.
In addition to the decision to go non-smoking, the restaurant will offer a completely renovated dining room with new seating, new tile flooring and new paint.
Mark Cole Construction Llc., 8215 E. River Road, has had around half a dozen construction workers working 11-12 hours a day on the establishment since renovation started.
"It'll be a fresh new dining room," Cole said. "It will be clean, new and fresh. Customers will like it."
Lil' Chef owner Jim Steele could not be reached for comment, Tuesday.
Cole said Steele's decision to go non-smoking was influenced by the non-smoking trend restaurants are currently seeing.
"He wanted to be ahead of the game, and he spent a lot of money remodeling and doesn't want it to be destroyed by cigarette smoke," Cole said.
Steve Farkas, owner of American Commercial Upholstery in Ecorse, said his company has been redoing the seating and giving the cabinets new color.
He said the restaurant is installing six additional new booths, which will all be made of high-density foam and should last at least 15 years.
"The restaurant will have a better flow and be more eye-pleasing and updated," he said. "I guess it will have a more contemporary look."
Farkas said other restaurants he has worked on that have gone non-smoking have seen an 18 to 20 percent increase in business.
He also said smoking can damage buildings and hinder the remodeling process.
"Smoke damage (costs) a lot," he said. "Now we won't have to paint the ceiling tiles and walls, the seats won't get sticky from nicotine, and the wood won't get discolored."
Jeff Bendele, a Mount Pleasant resident who works for Cole, said he the restaurant's decision to go smoke-free was a "100 percent good idea."
"Smoking doesn't belong in a place where you're making food," Bendele, who has been tiling the floor and repainting the ceiling, said. "A lot of people won't eat at a restaurant if there is smoking. I wouldn't."
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