New Hotel Mertens Adding Bakery, Cafe, Event Space

New Hotel Mertens downtown Grand Rapids is expanding.

GR Mag reports that the French restaurant has begun construction on a bakery, café, event space, and basement prep kitchen at 35 Oakes St. SW.

Majority owner and restaurant manager Anthony Tangorra told GR Mag,

Once the project is complete, we will occupy the entire original first floor of New Hotel Mertens. Unifying that space with its beautiful and historic tiled floor has been an ambition since our founding.”

Once it's warm enough, the restaurant also plans to add outdoor seating in front of the bakery.

The bakery is going to offer all sorts of breads and pastries, plus cake and breakfast dishes. For lunch they'll offer sandwiches, and into the evening, the bakery will be open for house-made gelato and French desserts.

You''ll be able to order coffee, espresso, tea and other drinks at the café all day.

The project is scheduled to be completed this spring.

First opening in the fall of 2017, New Hotel Mertens then opened Haute, a rooftop lounge on top of the building, last August.