93.9 The Eagle – The News and Talk of Columbia, MO
A Columbia businessman who helped recruit Big Whiskey’s American Restaurant and Bar to Columbia is excited about the new development that will be built near the fast-growing I-70 and Lake of the Woods interchange.
DeLine Holdings owner Greg DeLine tells 939 the Eagle that Big Whiskey’s will be built on the interchange’s southeast corner, near Holiday Inn.
“That area is hungry for, you know, this kind of thing. If you look at the rooftops out there between there and Old Hawthorne, there’s just a ton. And there’s a ton of folks out there. And when we did this with the city, got this approved by the city, there was no dissent,” Mr. DeLine says.
He has ambitious plans for the area near the I-70 and Lake of the Woods interchange. Mr. DeLine tells 939 the Eagle that other national retailers will be part of the development. He’s been talking to them.
“What we envision is some kind of a of a strip center, maybe something that looks almost like an outside mall like what’s in (eastern Missouri’s) Chesterfield. You know something along those lines. Certainly a coffee shop, maybe a pizza place. Possibly a Macadoodles, some things like that,” says DeLine.
Macadoodles currently has one Columbia location, on East Green Meadows road. While they have not released a date on when they plan to open, Big Whiskey’s American Restaurant and Bar says it’s excited to be coming to Columbia and to the I-70 and Lake of the Woods interchange. The restaurant chain says it will bring “its signature blend of great food, excellent service, and a lively sports atmosphere to the heart of the community.”
DeLine hopes to eventually bring an event center to his Port 131 project near Columbia’s fast-growing I-70 and Lake of the Woods interchange. Mr. DeLine says Big Whiskey’s will be the anchor.
“And then some other things need to happen and then that momentum will be created out there, and then we plan to follow up with the event center,” DeLine says.
Big Whiskey’s currently operates nine restaurants and bars across Missouri: Jefferson City, three in Springfield, Branson, Nixa, Republic, Ozark and Poplar Bluff.
