GRAND RAPIDS, MI — A new LGBTQ bar and restaurant is planning to open on the city’s West Side.
The General Wood Shop, 507 Bridge St. NW, is being launched by Alberto Garza and Jeff Steinport as a place to grab a bite to eat and share a drink, and to enjoy themed events, drag shows and more.
“There’s a lot of places in Grand Rapids that are friendly to our community, but we kind of want to make one in reverse where it’s a community space that is welcoming of everybody,” said Garza, a 36-year-old Grand Rapids resident who previously worked in the banking industry.
The goal is to open the bar, which is located on a bustling stretch of Bridge Street and next door to the Kale’s Corner building, by January 2023. The business received support Monday from the West Grand Neighborhood Organization board.
Garza said the bar is named after the business that occupied the building in the late 1940s and early 1950s. The building is now owned by Swift Realty, a company registered to former Grand Rapids city commissioner and developer Walt Gutowski Jr.
Renderings show Garza’s plan to renovate the building with a wood-slat bar, brown leather booths, and to restore the original brick walls, which date to the 1850s.
Garza said investments planned for the space are expected to cost about $500,000. He said he and Steinport originally thought about opening a bar on Division Street in Grand Rapids but ultimately settled on the West Side, as it’s a place the two like to visit and see as a good fit for the bar and restaurant.
The bar’s menu is still under development, but it will focus on small, sharable plates.
On Thursday, the proposal to open the bar is scheduled to go to the Grand Rapids Planning Commission for approval. Garza said he plans on seeking a liquor license for the business from the Grand Rapids Downtown Development Authority.
Read more:
Grand Rapids police, task force collect nearly 300 guns at buyback event
Final stargazing parties of 2022 coming to Sleeping Bear Dunes this fall
How to get a student loan refund if you paid during pandemic