GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — A new restaurant will soon replace the former Toys R Us at the Shops at CenterPoint mall.
The Grand Rapids Planning Commission recently approved special land use changes to accomodate a BJ’s Restaurant at 4923 28th St. SE.
The site has sat vacant since 2018 when Toys R Us closed its doors. BJ’s Restaurant plans to demolish the former store and build a 7,662-square-foot restaurant.
The new Grand Rapids BJ’s Restaurant would have a similar design and aesthetic as the 212 other locations nationwide. It is expected to accommodate about 297 guests inside the dining room and bar area and about 40 people outside on a proposed outdoor patio facing 28th Street.
Outside, two silhouette panels will hug the building’s walls, illustrating the ingredients and process of brewing beer. BJ’s also plans to provide three bicycle racks for visitor use.
While this will be the fifth BJ’s Restaurant in Michigan, it’s the first for West Michigan, the company website shows. The restaurant serves up mostly American fare including deep dish pizza, hamburgers, salads, soups, pasta, ribs and tacos. The Grand Rapids restaurant will also sell alcohol and packaged beer and wine to go.
“It’s really an excellent restaurant and if you’ve ever been in one, you’ll know that,” said Lee Pearson, manager of PineTree, which oversees operations of the Shops at CenterPoint.
The Grand Rapids Planning Commission also approved adding a second drive-thru lane to the nearby Chick-fil-A restaurant and plans for building a Chase Bank at CenterPoint. The Chase ATM near the adjacent Krispy Kreme would be removed once the bank building is complete.