By Mary O’KEEFE

There appears to be a light at the end of the restaurant tunnel at the corner of Verdugo Boulevard and Honolulu Avenue.

Gus and Andy’s Kitchen and Bar is looking to open, with the earliest date in August and the latest date in the beginning of fall.

The site at 2201 Honolulu Ave. has been empty since Rocky Cola Café closed its doors in 2012. Another restaurant owner had attempted to open a restaurant but had to let the lease lapse. Then longtime La Cañada Flintridge resident and restaurateur Tom Christopoulos acquired the location and started to work.

It took time working with permitting and remodeling and, of course, the pandemic slowed things down.

“It pushed us back with equipment, materials, construction and subcontractors,” Christopoulos said. “[COVID-19 restrictions] did slow us down.”

In addition, due to the pandemic the City adjusted the way it did permitting and inspections. Everything went virtual and changing or following up on permit issues just took longer. As he views the opening of the restaurant, Christopoulos is a little concerned about hiring employees; like most restaurant owners, the current workforce appears to be turning away from service jobs.

But the momentum forward toward the restaurant’s opening has been obvious to those interested, particularly in the last few weeks.

The Historical Society of Crescenta Valley has been watching the progress of Gus and Andy’s Kitchen and Bar, and its members like what they have seen.

“Tom had said from the start that he would restore the restaurant to its 1940s art deco façade. We are so happy that he kept his word. Gus and Andy’s speaks to Montrose’s heritage, and will be the perfect welcoming beacon into the Montrose Shopping Park,” said Mike Lawler, former president of the HSCV. “The Historical Society of the Crescenta Valley salutes Tom. We would love to see some of the other historic buildings in Montrose follow the example of Gus and Andy’s.”

Christopoulos has made it known that his plan for the restaurant is to capture the hometown feel of Montrose.

“It’s like a backyard grill where you go with family and friends,” he said of the restaurant’s style.

The restaurant will be “fresh casual” where diners order food at the counter and then grab a table. There will be a full bar and service for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

For decades Rocky Cola was the place to go for kids and families after ball games, date nights (from the first date to the 100^th) and a place to find and celebrate community. Gus and Andy’s Kitchen and Bar is set to fill those diners’ shoes with respect for the past and an eye to the future.

  grill, Gus & Andy, montrose