Trustees approve renovations to Maple Theater

Plans to add a four-seasons patio and renovate the kitchen area at the Maple Theater were unanimously approved on Monday, February 25, by the Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees.

Maple Theater owners Jon and Lauren Goldstein, of Cloud Nine Theater Partners, are planning to renovate the theater's existing kitchen and enclose the outdoor patio to create a year-round dining area. The plans also call for outdoor facade changes and reconfiguring the interior floor plan to incorporate about 411 square-feet of additional space from the new room.

The renovations will be done in conjunction with new food services planned through a partnership with local private chef Nishan Andonian, which will provide a more specialized service. The separate Great Lakes Coffee establishment agreement will cease, although they will continue to serve Great Lakes Coffee products.

The renovation design is being headed up by Birmingham-based architects Ron & Roman and includes several unique features, among them a roof-mounted planter box with low growing sumac and a viburnum hedge along the sidewalk area for additional greenery. The four-seasons room will incorporate aluminum framing with a canvas awning, black aluminum fencing and a new exposed aggregate slab with a heating system. The design will incorporate acrylic window panels that will be open to the roof in warmer weather, as well as a a new entrance door constructed of reclaimed wood siding.

The plans received approval from the township's planning commission on February 4. Jon Goldstein said then that the changes are intended to stem losses from its current food and beverage business, which haven't been able to achieve sales needed to cover increasing labor costs associated with running a quality food establishment. He said the current restaurant and cafe are dependent on theater traffic, which peaks on Friday and Saturday evenings, but is almost empty other times of the week.

The partnership with Andonian will allow the theater to offer improved services while offloading costs for food preparation. The kitchen will be utilized by the chef's private client business during off-peak times. Andonian has more than a decade of experience in commercial food service.

The board of trustees also approved a special land use for the renovations, as required due to its Class C liquor license agreement. The hours of operation were also approved, which will be from noon to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and noon to midnight on Friday and Saturday.

Goldstein said he hopes for the renovations to be complete by Memorial Day.