'The Garage' opens in

Springfield

By FRITZ BUSCH

Journal Staff Writer

SPRINGFIELD -- One of the more unique restaurants in the area -- The Garage, opened April 29 in the historic Lehrer building at the east edge of downtown Springfield.

The building formerly housed a Ford dealership for decades, an auto parts business, bowling alley and dance hall, among others.

The Garage is located adjacent to Springfield Lanes, which Brand also owns. The businesses are connected by a doorway.

The restaurant occupies the front portion of a large, distinctive brick building. It is geared to bowlers, muscle car enthusiasts and lovers of pizza and hamburgers and french fries.

The restaurant has a definite muscle car flavor with models of the vehicles, signs, logos and other memorabilia.

The tin ceiling remains intact. Customized windows were made to look like the originals.

The restaurant menu offers variety. It is one of only two places in Minnesota that offer Pieces of Eight pizza. Other offerings are burgers and fries, chicken, cod fish and shrimp, ice cream, tap 1919 Root Beer and 3.2 beer.

Using high-technology, food is cooked very fast. Burgers cook in less than a minute with direct heat transfer. A safe, fully-enclosed fryer cooks fries in three minutes.

Restaurant hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 11 a.m to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Hours may be extended during the fall and winter, to accommodate people attending sporting events.

"We hope to attract young people and families after ball games so they won't have to drive out of town for good and a nice place to go," restaurant owner Cory Brand said. "We'll watch the schedule to make sure we're open after games."

Brand said he thought the restaurant would complement his bowling alley and would provide Springfield with a much-needed eating place because several others recently went out of business.

Cory, Arden and Nathan Brand work at the bowling alley and restaurant much of the time. Five high school kids and several adults also help out.