Public Restaurant in Zeeland returns after being closed for over 2 years

ZEELAND — More than two years after shuttering in downtown Zeeland, Public Restaurant is back.

The eatery hosted a grand reopening Tuesday, June 25.

“It was amazing,” said owner Lucas Grill. “We were overwhelmed with support and our opening night was incredible. … It’s what I expected, but it shows you again how much this community loves Public and how much we love the community.”

Returning customers noticed many of the same elements — especially the menu — but Grill has tweaked some recipes and the interior.

The restaurant closed in December 2021 after Moxy Dental, formerly Smedley Dental — which then owned the building at 131 and 133 E. Main Ave. — expressed an interest in expanding.

The city later denied Moxy's request to operate in the street-facing portions of the building, which officials preferred to save for retailers, restaurants and personal service. In the end, a three-story mixed-use development and pedestrian passageway project at 135 and 137 E. Main Ave. gave Moxy the opportunity to expand elsewhere.

Grill owns 1983 Restaurants, which operates Seventy-Six, Poquito and Obstacle No. 1 in Holland. Public was the company's first restaurant.

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“I think the biggest thing we can do is to continue to show people that it’s more than just a meal, it’s an experience,” Grill said. “I want people to feel as if they're stepping into someone’s home and eating. We're going to continue to try to deliver that.”

Learn more at publiczeeland.com .

— Contact reporter Austin Metz at ametz@hollandsentinel.com.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Public Restaurant in Zeeland returns after being closed for over 2 years