Lake Orion Kruse & Muer Remodels, Reopens as Roadhouse

When Kruse and Muer at the Lake opened in Lake Orion in 2003, it enjoyed instant success as an upscale restaurant in an area with nearly no competition from other restaurants.

But as time went on – and as more and more restaurants opened in the area – owner Bill Kruse said profits started going down at the restaurant while business at the other Kruse & Muer locations in Rochester, Rochester Hills and Troy continued to grow.

"There was just too much competition," Kruse, a Rochester Hills resident, said Wednesday as he sat at a high-top table next to the restaurant's newly renovated bar, enthusiastically greeting friends and loyal customers during the restaurant's VIP reopening party.

Now called Kruse & Muer Roadhouse, the restaurant is officially reopening today with a completely remodeled interior and a revamped menu that includes some old favorites along with burgers, tacos, macaroni and pasta dishes.

The restaurant remained open during most of the remodeling, which was completed over a period of about two months by Rochester-based . The restaurant has been closed since Monday for repainting.

Kruse said he hopes to attract a new demographic to the restaurant by creating a more relaxed atmosphere.

"We've casualized it," he said. "Everything that we were, we still are, but now you'll spend $15 instead of $40."

Kruse – who also owns , the , ,  and as well as new location in Clarkston scheduled to open early next year – said the Roadhouse is meant to be "something in between" an upscale restaurant and a chain restaurant.

"What we hope to accomplish is to have a place to come because there's no place like it in Rochester," he said. Chuckling, he added, "We actually wanted to compete with ourselves."

Kruse & Muer Roadhouse came about as Kruse was "trying to figure out how to change the restaurant's image without taking away from what people like about it," he said. The building was originally used as a roadhouse for hungry, weary travelers when it first opened in 1935.

Guests who attended Wednesday's event were pleased with the renovations and the new menu. Longtime patrons Sheila and Jim Scovic, of Lake Orion, eat at the restaurant every week and said they are excited about the changes.

"The new menu sounds wonderful," Sheila Scovic said. "The samples have been wonderful."

"It's a fun place, and everything is good," Jim Scovic added. "They've been very accommodating over the years, and I don't think that will change."

Staff members also seemed excited about the changes.

"I'm excited about all the new food," Roadhouse server Leah Barber said as she checked in guests' coats during Wednesday's VIP event. "My favorite is the Asian pasta."

Only time will tell if the changes will make a difference, but Kruse is optimistic that the restaurant will succeed. "I want to see the restaurant full again and I want to see if our new menu is going to work," he said.

"I want to come in and see someone eating a burger and drinking a beer."

Kruse & Muer Roadhouse is open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m., Friday from 11 a.m.-10:30 p.m., Saturday from noon-10:30 p.m. and Sunday from noon-8:30 p.m.