Local restaurant, Lone Star Eatery has closed their former location on Live Oak Street in favor of a new, larger building just off of Culver Street in front of Wal-Mart.
“We just outgrew the old restaurant,” Sandy Ramsey, who works at Lone Star Eatery said. “We moved to expand our business and had to hire 30 percent more staff.”
The new building is twice the size of the former location at 5,000 square feet, compared to 2,700 at the previous.
Known for their original pizza sauce and signature soups, the restaurant will continue to offer the buffet and lunch specials that repeat visitors are accustomed to, but new features have been added to the menu, which include Texas strip steaks, pork tenderloin, fish ‘n shrimp and a few Mexican-style dishes.
In addition, the new location will include a large private party room, a larger, faster grill and all surround-sound state-of-the-art electronics, including 5 flat-panel TV’s for customer’s enjoyment of football games and other sports while they eat.
“The idea is that it will be a family sports bar atmosphere,” Bauschka said.
A new feature that Lone Star Eatery will also be offering is a special to-go section for customers who do not wish to get out of their vehicle, an addition which will most likely be appreciated on rainy and less-than-pleasant weather days.
The main feature of the new location is the full bar that offers mixed drinks and beer, which has graduate student Wade Gurley smiling, along with many other residents in the area.
“I am glad that they will start serving alcohol,” Gurley said. “I was excited because no place in Commerce has a full bar. There really is not anywhere else to go in Commerce to order [alcoholic] drinks, and the buffet is good.”
The change in location could create more business from out-of-town drivers who do not wish to divert from the highway. However, not all aspects of the move are positive. For students who don’t have the luxury of a car, the walk could be slightly longer.
“This is an addition that Commerce has really been needing,” Ramsey said. “We’re looking forward to a lot of people coming out. It’s going to be a great experience for all.”