Upscale Cocktail Bar-Restaurant Opens In Avon Lake

AVON LAKE, OH — The Caslon, a new bar and restaurant on Lake Road, will hold a ribbon cutting on June 20. The business was opened by a pair of Avon Lake residents, Dennis and Andrea Luke. The couple wanted to run an upscale-casual bar restaurant with cocktails and innovative small plates.

“My wife and I love to go out for cocktails and great food,” says Dennis, “but don’t like to eat a heavy meal. That is how we arrived at the small plate concept.”

The Caslon is at 33451 Lake Road, in what used to be the New Huddle Sports Pub and the Sandlot. The Lukes have transformed the building, stripping it down to its bare structure and then rebuilding. There is now a contemporary interior.

“We wanted to create a modern, yet comfortable atmosphere for the locals to enjoy a dining experience that is a bit unique from what is in the area,” says Andrea Luke.

The Caslon has been open for about six months, but the Lukes wanted to wait until summer to do the ribbon cutting. That's partly because their space transforms in warm weather. With two garage-style doors open, one on the north side and one on the west side of the building, guests can dine in the open air.

The city is excited to The Caslon join its roster of restaurants and businesses, in part because west end area development is a priority for the city.

“What Dennis and Andrea Luke have done at The Caslon is the kind of new investment that the City of Avon Lake loves to see,” says Ted Esborn, economic development director for the city. “The west end of Lake Road has great historical significance to Avon Lake, and the City is focused on redevelopment that can bring back some of the vitality that the area once enjoyed. Dennis and Andrea Luke saw potential in The Caslon property and invested in redeveloping it — that kind of action is most encouraging to Avon Lake.”

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