SALEM (WSLS 10) - A popular Smith Mountain Lake restaurant will be expanding into Salem.
It's all part of the three-story, 95-room hotel that will be built beside the Salem Civic Center.
Salem City Council approved the sale of 6.5 acres to Spartan Development LLC to build Staybridge Suites.
Now that the sale received the greenlight, Salem's newest hotel and restaurant is one step closer to being built.
Alan Criss with Spartan Development LLC said the development will be one of a kind
"I think it's just going to be a great addition to the city of Salem," said Criss.
The only hotel within walking distance of the Taliaferro Complex, it' s a much-needed amenity that Criss said will boost tourism and revenue for the area.
"Once you are in Salem, the Salem people support their restaurants and their business in the community so this is one thing we are really excited about," said Criss.
Although it's been kept under wraps until now, the restaurant coming with Staybridge Suits will be a farm-to-table style restaurant called Bruno's, an off-shoot of The Landing at Smith Mountain Lake that offers similar food styles to the owners' other venture, Bruno's GastroTruck.
"The whole concept is how the food truck started in Salem. We love Salem," said Bruno and Tiffany Silva, the owners.
They believe Salem will love their made-from-scratch menu that includes and extra-large hot dog for baseball fans.
The 5000-square-foot restaurant will be able to serve at least 250 people and will even have an indoor spot to part their food truck.
"We are going to have a chef's counter. We are going to have some really cool meals that are only available at the chef's counter. We are trying to make it everything that we've dreamed about in the past 12 years all rolled into one," continued the Silvas.
Developer Dan Friesland said Bruno's is exactly what they wanted to give the public, a spotlight to local business versus a chain establishment.
"We just felt like we needed something more hometown," explained Dan Friesland with Spartan Development LLC.
An amenity that will be available to the tens of thousands who go each year.