Lone Star rising: Restaurant to open

Source: The Flint Journal
At long last, local diners will be able to hitch up to the Lone Star.

The finished but never opened Lone Star Steakhouse & Saloon southeast of I-75 and Miller Road is expected to swing open its doors within weeks, according to a construction company working on the site. The building has sat idle - but complete - since early 1999.

"We're putting quite a bit of effort into getting them open," Chris Smith, manager of Jarvis Construction of Macomb County's Harrison Township, said Friday. "(Lone Star) has not set an official opening date, but prior to spring is their anticipation."

Lone Star officials could not be reached for comment. The Wichita, Kan.-based chain has not returned calls or has declined to say anything about the local eatery since before it was built.

Smith said his company was not involved in building the restaurant. It's one of several Lone Star locations built but not opened, including others in Mt. Pleasant, Ypsilanti and Toledo.

Jarvis, which also is working at other locations, has been installing hardwood floors, painting and updating the inside of the Flint Township Lone Star. Smith said company officials wanted a whitewashed floor instead of the original dark finish, and natural wood tables without tablecloths. The chain, which was founded in 1989 and went public in 1992, has about 250 restaurants in the United States and abroad. The chain closed 25 U.S. restaurants last year, according to a recent earnings statement.

The chain's revenues in the fourth quarter of last year decreased 2.7 percent to $171.47 million, from $176.26 million in 1999. Annual earnings in 2000 dropped 1.7 percent, compared with 1999, the report said.
Source: The Flint Journal