– Podcast: Lunde on Davoni’s restaurant project

(CSi) Jamestown Developer Brian Lunde says a building he recently purchased on First Street West, next to Gun N Reel Sports, will become a restaurant. (click video to listen to his interview from The Wayne Byers Show.)

He says, Davoni’s is planned for a new Italian & Seafood restaurant in the space most recently occupied by Witthauer and Associates.

On Friday’s Wayne Byers Show, on CSi Cable 2, Brian said the first floor exterior and interior of the building have been stripped, and the new construction has started. He said the two second floor apartments, which have been previously remodeled will remain, with a slight window change, due to a ceiling change.

Lunde says he purchased the building from Dr. Steve Looysen on May first this year. Looysen had bought the building from Paul Witthauer, whose insurance business now located in the former Pizza Hut location on 10^th Street SE.

They have found items of the past while building has begun, including a steel beam with the words, Jamestown Alert painted on it. In 1902 the building was the location of the newspaper.

Brian felt a need in Jamestown to offer seafood and Italian cuisine, while creating more traffic to Downtown Jamestown, to other stores.

Brian says the restaurant is being operated by Depot LLC, which owns and operates the Depot Cafe in the downtown Jamestown Business Center.

The Depot’s owner, Davon Mitchell, will operate and staff Davoni’s, and Davon is developing the new menu.

Brian adds, the First Street West building is being expanded to south with property purchased from Gary Docktor. The additional space will accommodate the restaurant’s kitchen with another 300 square feet with a 400 square feet, the dining area will contain 1200 square feet, to seat 52 patrons.

ADA compliant restrooms will be added for disabled accessibility. Possible plans include utilizing the basement of the building for private dining experiences.

He added that new signage is being designed, to be installed on the front exterior of the building.

Brian projects Davoni’s will be open by Christmas this year, however the renovation and restaurant plans will develop on there own.

A partial history of 113 1st Street West building (from Jamestown Main Street Project 1997)