The land was purchased by Speakeasy Ventures LLC from Phillip and Teresa Metzger last year for $6,000. The plan is to construct a restaurant that will follow food consumer trends that emerged as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, said Kimberly Frazier, who owns Speakeasy.
It will offer only carryout as well as space for outside seating.
Frazier said that carryout establishments have done better than their dine-in counterparts due to the coronavirus pandemic, which has had a major impact on local restaurants.
She said that she and her team are very early on in the process and still need to develop drawings of the restaurant as well as complete other associated tasks.
As a result it is unclear what the timeline for this project will be, Frazier added. She said the concept came from Speakeasy’s chef Clayton Horrighs, who was inspired by smokehouse restaurants in the south.
Frazier said the concept can give them range in terms of the types of items that would be offered.
“We are also trying to respond to the shift in food service,” she said.
Springfield City Commissioners were asked last week to conduct a public hearing on rezoning the property. Commissioners will be asked to vote on that item at its public hearing in early March.
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