A spokeswoman for an Asian food restaurant that is coming to the site of the former Ryan’s restaurant in Festus said Thursday (Sept. 12) the owner hopes to open by the end of November.
Feng Lin, who said she is a translator for owner Dabin Ye, said the new restaurant, at 331 N. Creek Drive, will be called Hibachi Buffet and feature Chinese food, including a Mongolian grill.
“It will be a family restaurant that will include a large meeting room for groups,” Lin said.
She said Ye, who plans to move from Oklahoma to Festus to operate the restaurant, expects to hire six to eight employees at the Hibachi Buffet.
She said the Hibachi Buffet is part of a business partnership that has a chain of Asian restaurants, but she is only familiar with one owned by the chain in Sedalia.
Festus leaders discussed the new restaurant during the Sept. 11 Festus City Council meeting, saying they were happy to see a new restaurant occupy the building Ryan’s vacated in June.
Matt Clemens, Festus building official, said Ye’s representatives applied for building permits to renovate the facility, but there won’t be a significant redesign.
“They’re remodeling,” he said. “They’re putting in a few half-walls, new carpet, painting – the works.”