According to recent reporting, Chinese restaurant Hunan Lion is making plans to reopen later this year after being closed since last fall. In October the eatery, located at 2038 Crown Plaza Dr, in the Crown Point Shopping Plaza, closed due to fire damage.
The eatery, which has been open in the Columbus area for decades, is owned by Jason and Allyson Chang. And many long time customers have taken to the eatery’s Facebook to express sadness over the fire and temporary closure, as well as sharing memories of eating at the restaurant during holidays and celebrations. Now, after remaining silent for five months, the Chang family announced on the eatery’s website and Facebook account that construction is starting soon.
“It’s definitely taken longer than expected, but we don’t own the building so we had to go through a lengthy process to get to this point,” said Steven Chang, general manager of Hunan Lion, and Jason and Allyson’s son.
Steven, who will eventually take over Hunan Lion, said he has also taken on a project manager role and is overseeing the renovation project, which has proven to be a learning experience.
“I’m in the process of taking over the restaurant from my parents who want to retire and it has been a great crash course,” he said of the undertaking.
Steven said the restaurant has gotten all the necessary permits and approvals from the City of Columbus, and the team hopes to start the construction process in the next two weeks.
In terms of repairs, the building’s roof and drywall as well as some structural repairs are in the works, along with kitchen and interior updates. And although the seating and general arrangement of the restaurant will stay the same, much of the customer facing details as ceiling tiles, flooring, the bar counter, restrooms and fixtures, will be updated.
“My parents have owned and operated the business for almost 40 years, so it would have been refreshed eventually anyway,” Steven commented on the interior updates.
Although there’s no firm opening timeline right now, the Chang family is planning for a grand reopening, hopefully happening this summer. Keep an eye on the restaurant’s social media and website, as updates will be posted there.
