Casual dining restaurant and bar opening soon on Muskegon's waterfront

Deborah Johnson Wood

By land or by lake, no matter how patrons arrive at a new waterfront restaurant in Muskegon, they'll find a bar and eatery with lakeside dining and fabulous views of Muskegon Lake sunsets.

So says Jon Rooks of Parkland Properties, developer of The Lake House Waterfront Grille, 730 Terrace Point Blvd., the latest piece of a multi-million dollar renovation of The Shoreline Inn & Suites and Terrace Point Marina complex. The restaurant, formerly called Rafferty's, retained only its original structure.

"Everything is brand new," Rooks says. "We added a herringbone maple floor and have 160 feet of windows facing the water. There's also a 160-foot-long deck out over the water that faces west for watching the sunsets."

Most of a custom walnut and granite curved bar created by Troy Bosworth from Studio Wise is indoors; the rest, which is shaped like the aft of a boat, is outdoors. Patrons can enjoy their drinks on the deck, or on a patio under the Locust trees the grow through the floor.

The Lake House opens July 28, offering a full drink menu, as well as dining creations by Chefs Dustin Schultz and Charlie Forrester. The menu ranges from appetizers like Lake House fish tacos and Tuscan bean and goat cheese dip, to sandwiches, burgers, pasta, steaks and seafood.

Rooks says the complex takes up only five acres of the 20-plus-acre property.

"I want to attract other developers to what I think is the best opportunity in Michigan right now, and that's the Muskegon shoreline," he says.

"Muskegon has a host of amazing events occurring all year round," he adds. "People recognize that it's a great place to be in the summer. We want to use the hotel and restaurant to attract people and events in the nine months of the off-season. If the owners of the waterfront properties can work together, we can accomplish the synergy that's possible."

Source: Jon Rooks, Parkland Properties

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Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected]. Development News tips can be sent to [email protected].