Grille 3501 Expansion Construction Under Way

Grille 3501, the restaurant and bar on Broadway in South Whitehall, has begun a renovation and expansion project that will add an indoor/outdoor bar and 50 new seats for dining, a co-owner said.

The improvements are largely focused on the barn attached to the restaurant, which had been used for storage, said John Trapani.

The restaurant plans to install what is essentially a retractable glass wall on the one side of the barn, Trapani said. When the weather is pleasant, the wall will be opened to create an almost al fresco dining experience for those who are seated at the new tables in the addition.

When the weather is too hot or too cold, the glass wall will be closed and the dining area, which will include a mezzanine level, will be climate-controlled—with heat in the winter and air conditioning in the summer, Trapani said.

A new bar area will also be installed against the glass wall, allowing the bar to become four-sided when the weather is pleasant.

Restaurant owners are investing about $1 million in the expansion and are hoping to reveal the finished product by some time in the spring, Trapani said.