East Tawas restaurant gets face-lift to stay open

The Bay City Times has this story on building improvements to the East Tawas Big Boy restaurant:

An East Tawas landmark that serves up shakes and Slim Jim sandwiches is getting a $650,000 makeover. Contractors will finish a top-to-bottom renovation of the Tawas Bay Big Boy restaurant in the coming days. The restaurant at 1222 N. US-23 has been in operation since 1982. A grand reopening took place Saturday, said Patrick Ruster, who oversees the restaurant's operation.

A group of Tawas-area investors purchased the Big Boy in April to save the business and the 45 jobs it provides, Ruster said. "The building was in poor condition and they were going to lose the franchise. It would have been closed down and boarded up," Ruster said.

The loan, along with funding from the new owners, is being spent to remodel the building's interior and exterior, including a banquet facility. The restaurant has seating for 135 people and the banquet room can seat up to 200, Ruster said. The restaurant will serve beer and wine and the banquet room will have a liquor license as well as wiring for multimedia presentations, he said.

Hhhmmmmm! Beer and wine with your Big Boy -- a taste treat.