New restaurant concept coming to Bearded Dogg building

Paul Welitzkin, The Petoskey News-Review
·2 min read
Kat Steinbrecher, who operates the Porter Haus, Mary's Stein Haus and Abi's Bistro restaurants, plans to create Kanes Lobster Pot & Bourbon Bar in the space formerly occupied by the Bearded Dogg.
Kat Steinbrecher, who operates the Porter Haus, Mary's Stein Haus and Abi's Bistro restaurants, plans to create Kanes Lobster Pot & Bourbon Bar in the space formerly occupied by the Bearded Dogg.

GAYLORD — Restauranteur Kat Steinbrecher is expanding her Gaylord business holdings by acquiring the Bearded Dogg property on South Otsego Avenue.

The Gaylord City Council approved a motion to transfer the Bearded Dogg liquor license to Steinbrecher Monday night.

Steinbrecher, who operates Porter Haus, Mary's Stein Haus and Abi's Bistro, said she plans to create Kanes Lobster Pot & Bourbon Bar in the space and feature Cajun/Creole cuisine. She expects the remodeling to be completed by April and hopes to open in May.

She also acquired the neighboring building on South Otsego housing the Old Spud Warehouse and the adjoining lot where two food trucks operate. She said the Old Spud Warehouse and food trucks will remain in place.

"I plan to expand the food truck lot and add some nice features to it as well," added Steinbrecher.

In other matters:

Council approved the creation of a commercial rehabilitation district for property owners of buildings in the 104 to 130 block on West Main Street in downtown.

Approval of the district means the property owners can apply for grants from the Michigan Economic Development Corp. (MEDC) to remodel and update their buildings. In return for making the improvements with MEDC funds, the taxable value on the buildings will be frozen for up to 12 years.

Finally, city attorney Paul Slough is drafting an ordinance for council consideration that aims to regulate short-term rentals in Gaylord.

"We have more short-term rentals coming into the community and we want to (ensure) that we have some oversight to make sure that they are not creating nuisance conditions for neighbors," said Slough.

"We are looking at making sure we know who the owner is and who to contact if a situation arises. We are also trying to keep the door open for exercising as much control as the state will allow for us to have over the short-term rentals," he added.

The city currently does not have an ordinance for short-term rentals. It's a market segment that is growing in Northern Michigan and the nation due to the rising popularity of vacation rental platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo.

— Contact Paul Welitzkin at pwelitzkin@gaylordheraldtimes.com.

This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: New restaurant concept coming to Bearded Dogg building