It’s official. Lucas Bros. Sandwich Shop is returning to Columbus.
The restaurant, which first opened 83 years ago near Fourth and Washington streets, hasn’t been in operation since 2013. That was the year the last location near State Street and Indiana Avenue was closed by owner Cheri L. Perkins.
But three weeks ago, word got out that Perkins’ son, William Broaddus, was taking steps to obtain space at FairOaks Mall to revive the iconic restaurant.
Broaddus, 46, said he has the original recipes for Lucas favorites such as hamburgers grilled in onions, chili, white bean soup and old-fashioned red hot dogs.
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Visitors at FairOaks Mall began seeing signs promoting the upcoming arrival of the restaurant attached to a black tarp covering the former location of Special Dogs & More.
Mall manager Veritas Reality of Indianapolis agreed to a lease on Feb. 7 that will expire at the end of this year, Broaddus said. After that time, negotiations will get underway for a longer lease, he said.
Behind the black tarp, renovations are beginning that include dropping the current countertop to a height that can accommodate eight customers sitting on stools. Those stools are intended to recreate the ambiance from the original downtown restaurant, he said.
The new sandwich shop will also have 10 tables that can each accommodate up to four diners, with on additional handicap accessible table added, Broaddus said. That will bring the capacity of the new Lucas Bros. to 52 — much higher that the 17 customers the original location could accommodate.
While the owner says he will install the original Lucas griddle cooktop used for frying hamburgers, Broaddus said he wasn’t able to obtain the original base. So Broaddus is ordering a three-burner, 36-inch grill base with a plan to remove the new cooktop and replace it with the original, he said. Plans also include investing in new fryers and cook-top burners, Broaddus said.
Other tasks that must be completed before the restaurant opens includes securing suppliers, as well as the hiring and training at least four employees, the owner said.
But one key position has already been filled. Dave Dow, who formerly prepared meals at the downtown Tre Bicchieri restaurant before it closed, has been hired, Broaddus said.
“Dave came highly recommended,” Broaddus said. “He told me he remembers Lucas Bros. as a child, and he’s very excited to be a part of it now.”
The original plan of a March opening turned out to be overly optimistic, he said. Now, the owner says he’s hoping to have a soft opening in early April to give his staff experience, as well as work out potential hiccups, before an official opening.
“I’m pushing as hard as I can to get it open,” Broaddus said. “I know there’s been a lot of hype and anticipation about the return of Lucas Bros., and I’m anxious to open as well.”
Broaddus is the third generation of his family to own Lucas Bros. While his grandparents, Dean and Donna Cannon, didn’t purchase the sandwich shop until 1973, Donna Cannon had been an employee of the restaurant since 1953.
Perkins, who died last July, began working at the restaurant when she was a young teenager, and spent most of her adult life there.
Those who recall the smell of grilled burgers and onions from the downtown location have expressed concern that the aroma might permeate the mall. However, scents from the downtown sandwich shop were mixed several decades ago with cigarette smoke, car exhaust, and unpleasant smells from nearby industries, Broaddus said.
Modern ventilators above the grills are quite capable of removing strong aromas, Broaddus said.
