Scallion Bistro, the fine dining establishment in the village of Lakewood, will close its doors after a music-filled farewell party on Sept. 10, and reopen later this fall as Craft Burgers and Brews.

Owner and chef Ryan Thayer told The Post-Journal he’s decided to rebrand the restaurant in response to changes in the marketplace, where more casual dining and an emphasis on craft beer and lighter fare has taken center stage.

“Our main focus will be burgers,” he said, “but we’ll also have steaks, salads and pizza. It’s going to be the kind of place you can come and watch a game and get a burger.”

Thayer said he feels that the restaurant’s fine dining label limits the number of people who walk through the door and that over the past year, they’ve been adding burgers and more casual choices to the menu with great response from diners.

“How many burgers we sell in a month has been out of this world for not being a burger place,” he said, with dining room manager Chris Brown adding that the casual food on the menu has “taken off.”

“The idea of the craft industry is at an all-time high,” Thayer said. “We’re hand-crafting burgers here. We get a nice sirloin brisket and we make them by hand. Craft beer is big right now, too, and we’ll also be getting into craft spirits.”

Thayer says he hopes to create a place in the village where people can come to relax and have a good time.

“We don’t want people to think of Lakewood as Fairmount Avenue,” Thayer said, referring to the number of chain restaurants in the area.

“When you support chain restaurants that money leaves town. When you support small businesses it stays here. It’s vital to the neighborhood. That’s what we’re focused on doing– bringing something to the area that people can be excited about.”

Thayer says he’s not just focusing on the new and casual atmosphere when the restaurant reopens, but he plans to serve up the kinds of dishes that adhere to his high standards for quality food.

Plans for remodeling include a more spacious and “open feel” by opening up the bar and utilizing elements that create a more industrial, rustic look. The new bar area will feature a corner lounge with bench seating and a brand new tap system with 14 craft beers–many of them sourced from Southern Tier Brewing Company and hard-to-find labels from across the country.

In addition to a new look, Thayer says the restaurant will also feature a new logo and signage and eventually a new patio with outdoor seating. They’re also hoping to get lake traffic from the public dock in the village during the summer months.

On September 10, Scallion’s last night, the restaurant will open at 5:00 pm and offer diners 25% off the entire menu, including liquor, beer and wine. Dave McDonald will perform live music from 8:00 pm until midnight.

“It’s going to be our ‘come and say goodbye and have a nice night kind of thing,'” Thayer said, adding that the employees will take a day off and then start the remodeling process.

Thayer hopes to have the new burger restaurant opened sometime between the beginning and middle of November.

“It just depends on how fast we can work and get everything done,” he says. “There’s a lot to do but we’re excited.”