The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
In with the Noosa
Mentor bistro ready to open in new Diamond Centre location after dormant months
It’s been a long road traveled, but the new Noosa Bistro is poised to open at Diamond Centre in Mentor.
The restaurant that evolved into Noosa first was established in 1997 by Rob and Susan Stanovsek on Mentor Avenue near Route 306 in a 1960s structure that had been a Burger Chef, followed by Mimi’s Ribs. In the 20 years since, then their close-knit family grew to six children, all of whom had roles in the business, which began as Redback Jack’s.
Although the Stanovsek children are grown and in college, all came home to work on renovating the one-time Brown Derby at 9500 Diamond Centre Drive, the restaurant’s new home. The original Noosa closed earlier this year when it was purchased by Auto Zone for demolition and a subsequent new building.
“I’ve spent 12 hours a day here since we closed the old Noosa on Father’s Day last June,” said Rob, who named the place after a beach town near Sydney in his native Australia.
His children all have dual citizenship, and eldest son Jack is in law school in Melbourne. Susan was due to return Sept. 20 from Eugene, Oregon, where she settled Malley, their youngest child, at the University of Oregon — where another son, Mick, is a track star.
The Brown Derby space was too big for the Stanovseks to consider, so the landlord allowed the space to be divided.
“I put up a wall and reduced the space by 2,000 square feet, which made it doable,” Rob said.
The entire family spent the summer working on the remodeling, while the elder Stanovseks moved from their much larger Concord Township family home into a three-bedroom apartment in Mentor.
“Shelby and I did the mosaic on the bar, and Wesley put in the music system,” he said.
Shelby is in grad school in Oregon, while Wesley is studying accounting at Ohio State University.
The bartop mosaic in shades of blue is duplicated in the fabric of the booths in the bar.
“Susan upholstered the booths herself and did most of the decorating,” Rob said.
Susan also decided there should be purse hangers beneath the bar at each seat and that every three barstools had a place to charge electronic devices.
The entire family worked to transform the beautiful wood inlaid bar from the original Noosa into a bench for those waiting for a table. It will be recognized by regulars just inside the entrance near the hostess station.
The 30-seat bar area, with its five flat screen TVs, is in the front of the space with large windows overlooking Diamond Centre Drive. The larger of two dining rooms has a fireplace and seats 78, while a smaller dining area near the entrance seats 44.
The new space seats 150 people, compared with the 90 seats in the former Noosa.
“We’ll be open for both lunch and dinner and will eventually have brunch on the weekends,” Rob said.
Daily hours will be 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. with a 3-to-7 p.m. happy hour.
Although Noosa favorites, such as its gingersnap calamari and Noosa Salad, have remained on the menu, a variety of burgers and pizzas has been added to appeal to those headed to the movies at the nearby Diamond Center.
“We’re aiming for a $30 check for moviegoers,” he said.
He predicts new favorites will be the Chilean sea bass, grilled mahi, rack of lamb and soy salmon, but he’s also sure the nine salads on the lunch menu will be hits.
“All our dressings are made from scratch,” he said.
Although the new Noosa will be more affordable than than its predecessor, high-end features such as a happy hour oyster and shrimp bar, more than 70 wines and a dozen beers on tap may surprise diners.
Executive Chef Shannon Rivera, most recently affiliated with Key Bank’s private dining room, will be at the helm, while the sous chef is Jedon Hernandez, a longtime Noosa employee.
“Shannon is a classically trained chef and a family man who lives in Painesville Township,” Stanovsek said.
Most of the staffers he’s hired hail from Mentor, Painesville and other nearby communities, he
said.
The kitchen is a wonder of space with huge walk-in coolers, freezer and cooler for beer and wine. One large oven allows pizzas to be finished on brick. There’s a large griddle in addition to the grill, plus a pair of refrigerated prep tables.
Stanovsek will provide delivery to guests staying at the nearby Holiday Inn, Residence Inn by Marriott and Hampton Inn and also expects to begin a catering operation within a few months.
And approval has been granted for a patio.
“I want to roll things out gradually,” he said.
He hopes to open Sept. 22, if final approval is granted by a host of inspection and licensing agencies.
The county health department approved the place with flying colors, he said, and all that’s needed now is a push bar on a side door that the Mentor Fire Department needs to approve. Six entities from the city — the fire department, planning, zoning and finance departments plus electric and plumbing — needed to sign off on the renovation before the state liquor control board gives its OK.
“Then we should be good to go,” Stanovsek said. “I am so very, very proud of this place and can’t wait to share it.”