The wait is over for Milton’s new Grover’s, which is set to open to the public at 6 a.m. on July 24 at 5614 Stewart St., following over a year of eager community anticipation.
The sparkling new Milton restaurant will carry over the old-school diner feel of the original location, Grover’s Fingers & Wings at 9418 N. Davis Highway, but now with a drive-thru, glittery cherry red booths, black-and-white checkered floors and quadruple the seating.
Now that the new restaurant is finally gearing up to welcome customers inside, the original location will temporarily close for renovations beginning on July 23 to undergo a makeover to match the new store. They plan to reopen the Pensacola store as quickly as possible and will post updates on Grover’s social media regarding the timeline.
While the Milton restaurant was custom-built from the ground up, thanks to homebuilder Mike Price, who partnered with owner Michael Graham on the Milton restaurant, they didn’t want to lose the old-fashioned feel that customers loved most, but rather enhance it.
The Milton menu will remain the same, with many options priced under $10, including their signature country-fried steak sandwich, Grover cheeseburger, or a half order of house-made biscuits and gravy.
But doesn’t an old-fashioned ice cream sundae taste better to the tune of a 1940s Wurlitzer jukebox?
When creating the design, Graham and Price worked to enhance all the nostalgia the previous location offered, while offering upgrades, such as significantly expanding the kitchen space.
The new restaurant features two separate kitchens: one for handling drive-thru orders and the other for in-house orders. While the layout mirrors the smaller Davis Highway store, it extends about 10 feet longer with twice the equipment so that customers can get their food fast.
In addition to the vast array of seating inside, there will also be about 18 picnic tables to enjoy a sandwich or a sweet tea out on the front porch.
To start, the restaurant will be open daily from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day, with plans to eventually transition into a 6 a.m. to midnight schedule. Once the longer hours take effect, breakfast items will be available all day, according to Graham.
As Graham and Price make final preparations to welcome law enforcement and family inside for a first run on July 23, they look forward to welcoming the public on July 24 when they will switch the traffic light sign on the outside of the building from red to green.
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This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: FINALLY! Grover’s Milton restaurant opening Thursday. Here’s a sneak peek inside
Reporting by Brittany Misencik, Pensacola News Journal / Pensacola News Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
