Public reopening in downtown Zeeland, ‘even better’ than before

ZEELAND, Mich. (WOOD) — A popular downtown Zeeland restaurant is reopening after a hiatus.

Public first opened along East Main Avenue in 2012, the city’s first full-service restaurant with a liquor license, 1983 Restaurants proprietor Lucas Grill said. The popular restaurant closed in 2021.

But now it’s back, with Grill and his team preparing for a Tuesday grand reopening at 131 East Main Ave. near Elm Street. The restaurant’s return is part of a development from the city of Zeeland that includes tearing down a one-story building at 135 and 137 E. Main Ave. and replacing it with a three-story building containing eight apartments and an expanded Moxy Dental and Airway.

“We were very fortunate that there was some things that got cleaned up and we were able to actually get invited to come back,” Grill said. “So now here we are, 12 years later, reopening public in 2024 and we’re very excited.”

Zeeland development will bring Public back to downtown

He said there’s been a lot of excitement around the community as “the band (is) back together.”

“It’s such an amazing downtown and so many amazing people. To be a part of that was exciting from the beginning. And the opportunity we get to redo that is a lot of fun,” he said.

The restaurateur — whose other concepts under 1983 Restaurants are Seventy Six, Poquito and Obstacle No. 1 — has been in the industry almost his whole life. He got his start when he asked for an Easy Bake Oven in first grade, later getting a job as a dishwasher at age 15.

He went on to study at the Culinary Institute of America in New York and worked at restaurants in Chicago.

But nothing compares to Zeeland, he said.

“It’s a place that doesn’t exist anywhere else,” he said. “The tree-lined streets and just the community feel of everything … the outpouring of support from other businesses and from community members and thoughts and prayers and different outpourings of support in different ways. I’ve lived all over the country, in Chicago and New York in different areas, and I’ve never seen anything like that.”

‘Welcome back’: Community Restaurant in Zeeland reopening after fire

When it reopens Tuesday, Grill said Public will still be the same restaurant, but with some modern updates.

“It’s the same old guy, but he’s dressed up and buttoned up,” he joked. “It’s been a lot of fun putting that energized new concept together. And in some ways closing for that two years is almost a gift. It was a little bit of an unexpected gift, and the fact that it gave me the chance to step back with a bit more perspective, look at everything, take everything down to its core and then rebuild it.…I think it’s even better than it was.”

The restaurant’s logo and interior have been refreshed with a modern vibe. The menu will include some of the classics Public was known for, like its meatloaf, grilled cheese and tomato soup, and a Parmesan-encrusted chicken cutlet, but there are also some additions.

New items include coconut encrusted Great Lakes Walleye with an aromatic yellow curry and a toasted garlic basmati pilaf, Grill said, and a southern shrimp and crab beignets appetizer with pimento cheese and hot honey.

‘Lot of stories’: Frank’s Restaurant in Zeeland marks 100 years

There’s less gluten, heaviness, fat and butter in the 2024 menu, Grill said, with influences from the diverse cultures that make up America’s modern food scene.

Both the food and drink menu offers something for everyone.

“The definition of Public is ‘open to all people,'” Grill explained. “When I named it that in 2012 … I wanted it to be a place where it was casual enough where if you’re coming in your soccer cleats you’re good, or if you’re the CEO of a company you can also feel accommodated.”

Public is the soul of 1983 Restaurants, Grill said, and he’s excited to see it come back as the group’s “big brother.”

“We don’t have freezers at all the restaurants and everything is fresh,” Grill said. “We really care deeply for what we do and I want that to show through in the food, the presentation, the atmosphere, the service, everything.…We love what we do, we try really hard to give a great experience to our guests every single time they join us.…It’s getting harder to find restaurants where they do everything the right way, don’t cut corners. And I like to think that we’re doing that.”

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com.