GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — On March 16, 2020, a diner called Royals opened its doors to the Wealthy Street community for the first time. That same day, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced the first statewide restrictions for non-essential businesses like restaurants, restricting them to only carryout and curbside pickup options.
After two years of navigating the pandemic, Royals officials announced the restaurant would be temporarily closed for the summer with hopes of reopening in the fall.
Chris Funaro, director of operations for All-In Hospitality Group, says the closure was for reevaluating their business plan and analyzing what the community needed.
Now, Royals is reopening as a pizza and sports bar, welcoming its first customers on Tuesday.
Take a look inside Royals Pizza
Funaro says the restaurant will look very different from the original Royals concept.
"We completely walked away from our previous menu, and we focused entirely on doing New England-style pizzas, hoagies, salads and some great shareables," he said.
Funaro said the new Royals aims to be a place for the community to gather and spend time together. The restaurant has both indoor and outdoor activities for customers, including games for children.
"We really felt like the neighborhood needed a place that was great for big groups," he said. "We added about 11 TVs, so we'll always have the game on. And it's just a really fun space to hang out at."
The restaurant has a full bar with 10 beers and two cocktails on tap.
Royals is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. until 11 p.m. For more information or to order online, click here.
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