Lister chophouse eyeing Friday opening

Lost in all of the headlines about delays at Tim Hortons Field recently is news about the long delayed opening of a new restaurant at the renovated Lister Block building. But finally, a year after the original target date, 28 Lister Chophouse Grill is set to open its doors this week.

28 Lister was first schedule to open August of last year. Then that was pushed to December, then spring time, then July. But a few crucial elements have fallen into place these past few days and the owner says they’ll be ready to serve by lunch on Friday.

Last week, the chophouse was issued an occupancy permit from the city and just this morning its liquor license arrived. With both of those elements in place, food is being ordered and prep is underway for a full day of service at the end of this week. Rom D’Angelo, who runs the building for the city confirmed that news.

And it’s long awaited after delays, including a cold winter that stalled out construction. Rent for the large unit in the newly restored Lister building is over 60 grand a year, so for owner Chris Desroches, that’s a pricey wait. We’ve reached out to him and are waiting for more details about the opening.

D’Angelo says when Deroches notified him of the plan this morning, he said they may or may not remain open for the whole weekend. But after Labour Day, they’ll be operating on regular hours.