Bentley’s coming soon

Down the street and around the corner from the future Highline, another restaurant is finally nearing completion. Bob and Melisa Bentley are putting the finishing touches on their business, Bentley's Old Mill Bakery and BBQ, at 23 W. Franklin St.

Final inspections are scheduled, equipment is in storage, furniture is being crafted.

He says they will open in late February. She says it will be in March, when the tulips bloom. In any event, the couple is working furiously to complete the final details necessary for any new venture.

They have been working alongside Bob Newcomer, owner of the former equipment shed, to transform the old building, which had no heat, water or sewer, into a multipurpose eating facility. It will feature a counter, booths and tables. The Bentleys will start with inside dining for 100, and be open Tuesday through Saturday. They will offer lunch and dinner menus, breakfast on Saturday, barbeque in the evenings, and takeout. Bob will work in the kitchen and Melisa in the bakery, which may have different hours depending on customer demand. What she has for sale on a given day will be determined by what she wants to bake, Bob said. The bakery will have its own outside entrance and be accessible from the restaurant, and have outdoor seating.

The parking lot will be getting its angle stripes soon and the 'Open' sign should follow not long after.