GRAND HAVEN, Mich. — New life could be coming to a vacant downtown Grand Haven storefront.
A local developer wants to turn the former Mr. Kozak’s Gyros restaurant, which has sat empty since 2021, into an updated business called the Fish Shack.
"38 Washington will be a destination for 'Seafood Street Food,'" wrote Jim and Karen Avery, the property owners, in a letter to city leaders.
Developers submitted the plan to the Grand Haven Planning Commission on April 6 on behalf of the the property owners.
Notably, the restaurant will be styled as a walk-up eatery.
The owners are specifically modeling the business without indoor seating in order to maximize efficiency. It's a small space, they explain, and the take-out system would "speed up" service for customers.
Inside, the restaurant still has Kozak's original checkered floors but several ceiling tiles are missing— and more than a few updates are in the works.
The owners will be replacing windows, installing fresh siding, and putting in a new serving counter. Outside the building, they're adding a pergola to an existing picnic area to create a new "outdoor gathering space."
The project is expected to cost around $75,000.
However, developers envision a space that spotlights the culture of the lakeside town.
The restaurant will have a nautical theme on the exterior of the building, and the Fish Shack menu will include classic fish and chips, hearty seafood chowder and broiled fish specialties.
"We'd like to carry on this tradition with an enhancement that showcases our proximity to lakeshore and features all things that come from the water," the owners say.
The Grand Haven Planning Commission approved plans for the Fish Shack at its last meeting in April.
