One-Eyed Betty’s Alums Take Over Birmingham Restaurant Space

The Stand Gastro Bistro is preparing to officially call it quits in June after five years in Birmingham. Rumblings that the restaurant was slowly removing equipment and tables from the dining room began earlier this year and the Detroit Free Press confirms this week that the restaurant is in the process of changing hands. A new restaurant called Hazel, Ravines and Downtown is set to replace the restaurant.

Kramer Restaurant Group alums chef Emmele Herrold and manager Beth Hussey, who worked together at One-Eyed Betty’s and Pop’s For Italian, are partnering in the wordy new project. There goal is to create a casual, neighborhood spot. As for the lengthy name, Herrold and Hussey say that it refers to the restaurant’s location at the confluence of three Birmingham neighborhoods; they expect patrons will eventually shorten it.

Plans call for exterior updates to the signage, lighting, and landscaping to improve the location’s visibility as well as interior renovations that will double the amount of private dining rooms. Hazel, Ravines and Downtown will also add a grab-and-go market and cafe to the space. Diners can expect chophouse-type options like steak, potatoes, and caesar salad from Herrold’s menu alongside internationally-influenced dishes and trendier items.

Partners John Kelly and Cuisine chef Paul Grosz opened the Stand in 2013 with a fine-dining approach to nose-to-tail eating, but transitioned to a slightly more casual setting in 2015 as part of an effort to appeal to a broader clientele. Grosz departed from the restaurant last year and the pair are expected to finish “dissolving” the remaining business by mid-June, Kelly tells Eater in an email.

Hazel, Ravines and Downtown is still jumping through hoops with the notoriously finicky Birmingham City Commission, but if all goes well the restaurant could debut by late summer. Stay tuned for updates.

• The Stand Restaurant in Birmingham to Close, Transform Into New Concept [Freep]
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