Outside the Arena

DALLAS – While national restaurant chains are closing doors across the country, a local couple will open a second location.

Michael and Nicole Theodore, owners of the Arena Bar and Grill on Coal Street, Wilkes-Barre, will open Metro Bar and Grill in the Twin Stacks Building in Dallas on Aug. 6.

“A lot of national chains have been shutting down lately,” Michael Theodore said. “We are locally owned and operated; we know what people want and that is quality, value and consistency.”

The Theodores have operated the Arena for six years, the last three at its current location. Michael Theodore said Arena patrons will recognize a lot about the Metro, but it will not be a clone.

“It will be similar to the Arena, but we will offer a bigger wine selection,” Theodore said. “The menu will also be similar, but we will offer a lot of gourmet burgers.”

He said there will be 16 different brands of beer on tap and more than 100 of the bottled variety. A large outside deck will offer seating for dining and entertainment.

Theodore said 10 full-time and 30 part-time employees will be hired and the bar/restaurant will have seating for 250 on two levels.

The grand opening is set for 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 6. Theodore said the Metro will be open Wednesday through Sunday from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. and closed on Monday and Tuesday.

The Metro will be the third venue at the site, which was first occupied by Stax & Co. Theodore said he and his wife have re-done the interior of the former Ragz restaurant, adding more booths for seating, a new sound system and several high-definition plasma televisions in what was originally the powerhouse of a textile factory.

“We are known for our beer selection at Arena and will be bringing in hard-to-find and great beers from all over the U.S. and the world,” Theodore said. “In addition, we will be serving 12 great wines by the glass with our wine preservation system. We will also have an extensive wine bottle list which will be very diverse and will feature familiar wines as well as high-end wines like Opus One.”

Theodore said food selections will be prepared from fresh cut steaks, sushi-grade fish, fresh chicken and locally sourced produce.

“We try to get as much stuff local as possible and stay away from frozen portioned food as seen in corporate chain restaurants,” he said. “We are a family-owned and run business and we respect all the family-owned and run businesses in the area and try to give them a large portion of our business.”