Staff writer
Marion Kiwanis members got a sneak peek Wednesday at a future fine restaurant and lounge set to open in the Historic Elgin Hotel.
Andy Hansen, project manager and manager, talked to Kiwanis members about ongoing work at the Elgin and the menu planned when the lounge and restaurant are open.
Hansen said he expects a soft opening by the end of the month.
Co-owner Tammy Ensey earlier said the dining room and lounge would be built in a 1,200-square-footspace at the northwest corner of the first floor.
“I wanted to build a saloon,” Hansen said. “Tammy wanted to build fine dining.”
Hansen gave Kiwanis members a tour of the lounge and dining area, where carpenters, electricians, fire safety workers, woodworkers, and other craftsmen were busily working to produce a showstopper.
A back bar will be moved from a conference room to the new lounge. The conference room is being converted to a private dining room.
Hansen said there will be two menus available, one for the dining room and one for the lounge.
The restaurant will serve craft beer, hamburgers built to the customer’s order, beef, chicken, and seafood, along with vegetarian and gluten-free meals.
“We’ll have some really cool appetizers,” Hansen said. “Some will be made from sausages made in Hillsboro.”
Other appetizers will include char-grilled oysters, shrimp in a shot, fireball whiskey chicken wings, and a variety of humuses.
Prices will be competitive for the area, with hamburgers and fries starting around $10, he said.
The restaurant will be open Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, with dinners starting at 5 p.m. and the lounge serving earlier.
Customers will be able to order and be served outside the lounge area, Hansen said.
The bar will have between six and 10 beers on tap including craft beers.
Hansen said a microbrewery in McPherson is developing a beer for the Elgin.
Hansen said a hunters’ guesthouse he owns across Santa Fe St. also serves as overflow lodging for the Elgin Hotel.