Out With The Old And In With The New . . .Bringing Businesses To Life, One Renovation At A Time
Over the last year, there seems to be a growing local trend in the renovation world. Business owners across the region seem to be opting to give their current location a fresh, new look and employing area professionals to help get the job done seamlessly. As well, new business owners are choosing to renovate the site of a previous company to house their new business and are hiring contractors to complete the work.
Renovations and remodelling can give your business a much needed face-lift — which in turn can boost your brand image, inspire your employees and hopefully attract new customers and increase sales.
As for evidence illustrating the power of renovating, check out a quick summary of some local businesses that now have an up-to-date appearance (or even a new location) . . .
- Schinkels’ Meat Market, 24 Talbot Street North in Essex unveiled this summer a stunning new exterior storefront, signage and also increased a bit of square footage inside.
- Sprucewood Shores Estate Winery, located at 7258 County Road West in Amherstburg, spruced up their entire property inside and out for a big reveal in April 2024.
- Also in Amherstburg, Burger 67 relocated from Murray Street in July after renovating the old Lord Amherst Public House and Wine Lounge, 273 Dalhousie Street.
- Toto Café, situated at 12211 Riverside Drive East in Tecumseh, opened in the spring after significant renovations were done to a previous bike shop location.
- The owners of The Bourbon Tap & Grill opened a third location in March 2024 after transforming Mr. Biggs Sports Bar and Eatery at 405 Notre Dame Street.
- LA Town Grill, located at 5975 Malden Road, Unit #5 in LaSalle, recently repainted, reupholstered the booths and purchased new chairs and table tops.
- The dance club Disco Inferno, 600 Ouellette Avenue in downtown Windsor, came to life in summer 2023 after WKND’s Hospitality Group converted part of the space used by the Bull & Barrel Urban Saloon.
- The Strathcona Building in Walkerville also underwent major renovations in 2023 by Rosati, to house The Grand Cantina at 1968 Wyandotte Street East and a new location for The Twisted Apron, also in Walkerville. In turn, another location of The G.O.A.T. Tap & Eatery was born at 1801 Wyandotte Street East, in the old Twisted Apron location, in April 2024, with another Kona Sushi restaurant moving in and with office space above for an investment firm.
- In addition, throughout this edition you will learn of even more business renos, such as in the Belle Vivante column about The Cherry (Rock Lounge), 63 Pitt Street East, downtown Windsor, previously occupied by Insomnia and Tequila Bob’s. The stage was built out and wired for sound; as well a new seating section was built next to the windows.
- Our Food For Thought article features Chopstix Pan-Asian Eatery, 152 Lesperance Road in Tecumseh, which was previously the Healthy Mama (a vegan, vegetarian and raw based catering and meal preparation company) and for many years, the old Knights of Columbus Hall. The owners of the 2,500 sq. foot Chopstix site refurbished the bar and undertook major kitchen renovations with the expansion of kitchen exhaust systems and the installation of a walk-in cooler providing ample storage for fresh products.
- And we end the September edition with our Biz of the Month on the Supply Depot Cash & Carry, 2601 Wyandotte Street East, renovated and re-branded from the previous name, the Clean Depot.
We could go on and on to prove the point that renovations do a business good, but we have to cut it off somewhere! But first, this next example is an in-depth look of multiple franchises owned by a Windsor businessman employing local individuals.
He has invested in many properties in the region and with all the renovations currently underway, he is creating a buzz on the hospitality scene . . .
Renos And New Locations For Chuck’s Roadhouse Bar And Grill
Karthikeyan Subramaniam of Kings Business Group in Windsor is the owner of five area Chuck’s Roadhouse Bar and Grill locations, with three more on the way.
His current Windsor restaurants are located at 5001 Legacy Park Drive and 6675 Tecumseh Road East. In Essex he owns a Chuck’s Roadhouse at 346 Talbot Street North and in Kingsville he owns one at 32 Main Street West, which just opened mid-July. He also owns another location at 395 Grand Avenue West in Chatham.
Two more locations that are currently in construction are: 13039 Tecumseh Road East in Tecumseh (the old Rustic Table Bar & Grill) and 2187 Huron Church Road in Windsor (a previous Applebee’s). These two locations are slated to open at the end of September, according to Subramaniam. And next year, he’ll open another Chuck’s Roadhouse in Amherstburg — at an undisclosed location, as of this date.
Radu Construction is Subramaniam’s exclusive local contractor for renovating and converting old properties into new locations of Chuck’s Roadhouse Bar and Grill.
The construction company is currently working on the Chuck’s locations in Tecumseh and on Huron Church Road, after finishing the Kingsville location where they completely gutted the main dining area and rebuilt everything — the ceiling, bar, walls, floors, bathrooms and outside walls — of the former Chuckwagon Family Restaurant building.
Peter Radu and wife Janis are the owners of Radu Construction, located at 1044 County Road 20 West in Kingsville. They began the business in August 2015 and usually have around six regular employees, but sometimes more if required.
“I started in demolition with my father, and later on started doing construction and have been in it since around 1995,” describes Peter about how he started in the industry.
He mentions he had his Tarion License for building complete houses, but changed to mainly focusing on structural construction for footings, foundations and complete outer shells of buildings. “I was the first to bring Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs) for foundations and complete outer walls of a structure,” comments Peter, which he says in turn makes a more efficient structure.
According to Peter, the process for renovations varies because some places need more work than others to complete, but it usually takes about two months on average.
When it comes to deciding whether to renovate or build from scratch, Peter indicates it really depends on the stability of the building.
“Sometimes it’s better to start from scratch and other times the bones of the place are solid and sturdy and it can potentially be less expensive to renovate,” he explains, adding there are a lot of variables.
Aside from the renovations Radu Construction has done for several Chuck’s Roadhouse locations in the region, they also renovated Arner Stop (gas station and diner) in Kingsville some years ago.
He works with other professionals in the area when it comes to electrical, heating and plumbing, on the projects they complete.
Area businesses working with Radu Construction to complete the renovations for Chuck’s Roadhouse Bar and Grill in Kingsville, that will also be working on the new locations to come, include: M.B. Quality Construction LTD. (stucco specialist); Boilers Plumbing Plus LTD; Nate Bevington of Nate’s Custom Carpentry (bar and bike stand); Keyeux Electrix; Langemann HVAC and Golden Brush Painting.
(Keep up to date on the progress of each new franchise locally by checking their social media page).
According to Subramaniam, there are 70 Chuck’s Roadhouse locations across Ontario (note: there is a location in Leamington he does not own). He’s pleased to have brought several franchises to the area and to have three more on the way.
When it comes to renovating current properties, instead of building brand new, in Subramaniam’s opinion, it all comes down to having a good location.
As for the advice Subramaniam has for other business owners who may also be considering big renovations, he comments: “Always be prepared to expect the most unexpected and be ready for changes.”
Now we introduce you to a few more “Fixer Uppers” in the Windsor Essex and Chatham Kent commercial renovation industry who can assist business owners with any remodelling needs. Please note the following companies profiled next, may or may not have worked on the Chuck’s Roadhouse locations, but they have renovated plenty of other businesses in the area.
Read on to get their advice and learn a bit more about their most recent projects . . .
“There Are Things Known And Things Unknown And In Between Are The Doors (And Windows)”
New windows or doors can dramatically change the look of a storefront.
Scott Leistra and his wife Meagan Carson-Leistra are the Owners of Erie Glass, specializing in commercial glass and doors for both renovation work and new construction projects.
Erie Glass opened more than 40 years ago and the husband-and-wife team took over the business three years ago.
“Although Scott started working there 21 years ago as a co-op student,” Meagan points out.
Located at 9481 Longwoods Road in Chatham, they have 15 employees. Typically for commercial jobs, they work through a general contractor.
“We have general labourers, as well as apprentice and journeymen Glazier and Metal Mechanics, who are certified as Glaziers,” Scott describes. “The skills required are attention to detail, use of power and hand tools, great customer service, being trained in aerial work platforms, custom work and problem solving.”
All renovations are different — as they range from just a single door replacement to an entire storefront replacement — but for commercial work, Scott says the time frame for most smaller projects is one to three months from the approval of a quote to completion, whereas large projects could take six months to a year.
The team doesn’t require much from business owners in terms of preparing for window and door renovations.
“A couple of feet on the inside of the window and outside is all we need,” Scott mentions. “Normally the owner will look after removal and re-installation of their window coverings and blinds. We look after the rest — removal, disposal, installation, insulation, caulking and exterior flashings if required.”
For business owners looking to keep the doors open while renovations take place, Scott indicates this is normally not an issue.
“We are able to re-route foot traffic through an alternate entrance or do half at a time, leaving one side operational,” he comments, adding that the worst case scenario would entail the business closing down for a day or two and then the next day they’d be up and running again.
Some recent Chatham renovation projects Erie Glass has completed include: a new entrance and windows for Centro Wood Fired Kitchen and Rubies Inc. (gift shop); a new front entrance at Willy’s Cannabis Supply Co. and new front windows at Jazzbah. Other good examples are all new entrances, new upper windows and lots of custom aluminum flashing work at Glasstown Brewing Co. in Wallaceburg and three new entrances and a large front window at Martindale Window & Door Windsor — a project that’s still ongoing.
At Erie Glass, they focus on commercial aluminum windows and doors, but they also sell and install a lot of hollow metal steel man doors.
“We sell to general contractors for larger construction jobs, but we also sell to, and install for, small businesses,” Scott notes.
He says these are typically installed as the back doors of businesses. They are heavy duty steel doors with welded steel frames.
“We also do residential work such as custom all-glass showers, mirrors, railings, custom all-glass offices, custom mirror work, right down to fixing cracked house windows or replacing window screens,” he elaborates, adding they also have a locksmith for commercial and residential work.
While they do residential work, Scott expresses that they don’t get into replacing complete vinyl windows in homes.
“But if they were to crack or fog up, we can replace the glass in your existing frame,” he states. “This is a cheaper option and extends the life of the window.”
The team at Erie Glass also does work for two school boards — the Lambton Kent District School Board and St. Clair Catholic District School Board.
To view a photo gallery of past projects and a list of all their services visit online.
