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EDWARDSBURG — Owners of a new local restaurant are excited to offer customers a fresh, tasty dine-in experience.

Flat Rock Grill, 68973 M-62, Edwardsburg, opened its doors for the first time Saturday evening.

Co-owner Earl Williams greeted customers as they entered the restaurant, which is also co-owned by Williams’ business partner, Andrew Mitchell. Williams named the restaurant in honor of Flat Rock, a popular recreation area along the Arkansas River he frequented when living in Arkansas.

The opening night menu featured smash burgers with fresh cut fries, sandwiches and appetizers along with a tap, cocktail and wine selections. The restaurant will feature pizza, soups, salads and more in the future but Williams said the restaurant is offering a limited menu for a short time to allow for servers and cooks to get acclimated. Flat Rock Grill will be open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday thru Sunday and also offers outdoor seating in addition to its indoor space.

Williams, who owns the Gateway Plaza where Flat Rock Grill resides, started this venture with Mitchell in February with the goal of creating a casual, yet classy dining destination in Edwardsburg.

“We want to have that feel of class like you’re at a nicer restaurant but not paying nicer prices,” he said. “I want you to feel like you’re coming into a Ruth’s Chris but you’re paying Texas Roadhouse or Logan’s prices. That’s what I want to bring here so you don’t  have to go all the way to Granger to get a higher-end feel.”

The restaurant filled up quickly and was well received by visitors, including Kathleen Schultz, who attended the grand opening along with friends Joanna Thompson and Alice Flassig. 

“We’re excited just to see the grand opening and be a part of it,” Schultz said. “This is our town and we’ve been waiting for something new to come.”

An Edwardsburg resident of 17 years, Schultz believes Flat Rock Grill gives the community a “destination” restaurant that it lacked.

“We’re already telling our friends that live in Indiana about it,” she said. “I think it’s gonna do well. People have been waiting; you’ve got the people on Eagle Lake and there’s a lot of people that come in from out of town just to be in Michigan because we get a lot of tourists that have houses on the lake coming from Illinois. I think it’s gonna do well.”

“We need to be known for something more than just a bunch of pot shops,” Williams said. “It’s great that people can come here and get that from us but we don’t have any restaurants anymore, so-to-speak. … I think for the football team on Friday night, the game is over, where are you going to go? Notre Dame football game, where are you gonna go, drive all the way to Granger to busy bars? Now you can come here and stay in the community.” 

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