The next chapter of the story of The Lakehouse in St. Joseph is being written, starting today.
The popular restaurant and bar, which closed in December of 2022 amid interior flooding is open once again as of Friday, serving customers both outside on the spacious patio and inside in the main dining room and the bar with an incredible view.
New Lakehouse General Manager Mendim Akiti sat down with MoodyOnTheMarket.com to talk about the huge opportunity ahead for him and his nearly 20 member staff.
Akiti recognizes that he is taking over a restaurant with a legacy—a history of fine food and excellent service to customers for several decades, first as The Mansion Grille and then as The Lakehouse. He wants to build on that legacy and described the opportunity—really the ‘head start’– as “amazing.”
Akiti said that during a couple of nights of ‘soft openings’ serving guests of the Holiday Inn Express next door, he has already heard stories of great memories from the restaurant. From weddings to family reunions, class reunions and annual get togethers of friends on Lake Michigan, he smiles broadly when he talks about how past customers have such positive feelings about The Lakehouse.
Going forward, Akiti is pledging to maintain and build upon that standard and legacy. He has drastically expanded the Lakehouse menu, from appetizers to salads to main course entrees.
Diners will find about a dozen items under each of the menu headings, Main Courses and Handhelds, plus Appetizers and entrée salads. Steak lovers will zero in on the Blue Cheese Ribeye and the Steak Romeo—a filet with a blend of mushrooms and mozzarella with a demi glaze. Seafood fans will find sauteed perch and grilled salmon, plus a shrimp appetizer. Longtime Lakehouse diners will cheer the return of Raspberry Chicken. Four pasta entrees are featured: Spicy Chicken Rigatoni, Lemon Chicken Scaloppini, Chicken Penne, and Tuscan Shrimp.
The Handheld menu features a wide variety of sandwiches and paninis.
In terms of the layout and physical ambiance of the Lakehouse, visitors will find a familiar feel. The familiar interior facing bar opens onto its own casual dining area, often known as ‘the Porch’ in the past. The view from the bar area encompasses a wide swath of Lake Michigan. The Main Dining Room features a nautical vibe and offers a side view of the Lake, as does the second dining room, available for overflow and semi-private dinners.
Akiti pointed out that while this is his first full charge general manager assignment, he has worked in restaurants his entre life and that he and his family see the Lakehouse as a perfect opportunity. His parents owned several restaurants in Muncie, Indiana and were looking for a place in which to retire and invest.
They fell in love with St. Joseph in recent years and then became acquainted with local hotel owner Jay Patel, who had purchased the Lakehouse property last year, following his purchase of the neighboring Holiday Inn Express. The Akiti family and Patel agreed to partner on the new Lakehouse venture, which then turned into an opportunity for Mendim to ‘captain’ the project and manage the Lakehouse.
Akiti said he’s been pleasantly surprised in his effort to hire a staff for the Lakehouse. He received about 130 applications and has hired almost 20 individuals, most of them full-time. He was especially pleased when several former Lakehouse employees returned to the fold and will once again be serving customers. He sees that as an indication of how the restaurant and its staff and employees had a strong and special relationship.
The Lakehouse will be open Wednesday thru Sunday from 4-10 pm. Closed Mon-Tues.
A cautionary note, several old websites and social media pages still exist and the menus showing are NOT the new current ones. Be assured that the new Lakehouse menu is much larger and more varied.
by Gayle Olson, MOTM Contributor
