By james art 
Patrons visiting a North Kitchen & Bar at 1310 Abbot Road for the first time, hoping to experience something like the former resident of the east of Renault, will probably be surprised and calm from the familiar place.
The space has undergone a modest reshaping and has an updated menu, but will continue to host a weekly radio show with the participation of sports coaches at Michigan State University.
Eli talks with Scott Berman, the owner of one north and President of Tining Ventures, Inc., for the newly opened restaurant.
“I probably live two miles from here,” he said. “I was familiar with Jesse [Stipcak, the previous owner] And we bought this one [Reno’s] to the west side. We have always had the charm of this property in this place. This particular part of the Eastern Lansing is somehow undervalued by family meals with full service. There are not many great places between Eastwood or Grand River or Frandor. “
Berman said he also wanted to expand the One North brand, which already has restaurants in Lansing and Jackson. His hospitality business, Tining Ventures, Inc., owns five restaurants and employs more than 300 people.
“We were looking for something for the east,” he said, “and certainly the affiliation and the opportunity to get involved in the coaches and to be more pronounced than the Michigan State University were another attractive feature of it.”
He said that one to the north enjoyed some transfer with the loyal customers, which attracts the east of Renault, but he is aimed at a wider clientele.
“I think we are interested in people who are foodies who usually like sports and social environment, but put in a high value that they may not have to be in the atmosphere of college,” he said. “We are much less than a” food bar “and much more than a” great home -made restaurant with a good bar “and a sport to watch.”
When asked about his favorite dishes, he smiles, admitting that he wants a lot, but always gives terrible answers because his preferences change so often.
“We have what I call, a veto menu for evidence,” he said. “It’s very eclectic. All our food is from scratch, but we have Asian dishes, we have Mexican dishes; It really depends on the person what they like most.
“I will say that the unsolicited, Jambalaya was an item that was voted very high in the Pulse magazine rating for a signature dish. We don’t consider it a meal with a signature, but obviously many people do it and it’s flattering. My wife and I love our salmon for bourbon. But we had many loyal customers who just love ours, you know, love our burgers or steak of power. “
The building itself didn’t change much, Berman said. A storage room was added to make room for catering and special events and 200 square feet of more cool space were added because the restaurant does almost everything from scratch.
“We have been reconfiguring the plan on the floor quite little and there is almost nothing that we have revised,” he said. “So all the new electric, all the new plumbing, all the new flooring, put in a few new walls, all the new ceilings, all the new roofs.”
The space for MSU coaches also received a facelift, with a converted room and new cameras and TVs.
Bonus from the reconstructed space, according to him, is the ability to carry out multiple activities, including the support of private groups and events.
“We had about 130 people for Robin Frallik [MSU Women’s Basketball coach] Show, ”Berman said. “It was really exciting and it was very successful, and yet there were two other parts of our restaurant, the dining room and our outdoor porch, and many people didn’t even know we had an event.”
Even with the menu menu and new amenities for buildings, Berman is proud of the team that built the restaurant.
“We expect and we hope that our clients will see a huge commitment to hospitality and friendship,” he said. “These are some of our basic principles. Not only do we want to be the first choice for guests, but we want to be the first choice for people who want a career in the hospitality in the Lansing area. Fortunately, we have attracted highly talented people and have low turnover rates and we think this allows us to give guests a unique experience.
“We are lucky to have a great, great team that shares our desire to serve guests.”