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By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief
LUDINGTON — AndyS, the long-awaited downtown restaurant, sports bar and entertainment venue, will officially open to the public Sunday, Aug. 16, at 4 p.m. A ribbon cutting will take place today, Friday, Aug. 14, at 6 p.m.
The opening comes nearly a year after construction on the approximately $10 million project at 129 W. Ludington Ave. was halted by the City of Ludington and following months of litigation between the city and developer ASR Real Estate LLC, owned by Dr. Andy Riemer of Ludington.
AndyS will feature three bars, pizza and other food offerings, more than 70 televisions and entertainment areas spread throughout the three-story building.
Las Vegas bartender Eric Hobbie developed the cocktail menu, which will include specialty cocktails at each bar. Each level will also feature 24 taps.
Chef Leo Spizzirri, author of “Pizza Love,” will be at AndyS for Sunday’s opening to prepare hand-stretched pizza in the restaurant’s wood-fired oven.
The main floor includes a stage designed to host music, comedy and theater performances. The second floor includes AndyS Country Club, featuring three golf and sports simulators and private event space. Suzy’s Rooftop, on the third level, will offer indoor and outdoor seating with views of Lake Michigan and downtown Ludington.
Reservations will be required for dining. Reservations can be made by calling 231-515-ANDY (2639) between 2 and 4 p.m. daily.
AndyS initially will open at 4 p.m. Thursday through Monday. Permanent hours will be announced later.
The City of Ludington issued a temporary occupancy permit for the restaurant May 28. The permit allows the business to operate while several issues involving the building’s second-floor overhang and parking along Rath Avenue remain unresolved.
The dispute dates to August 2025, when the city issued a stop-work order, alleging structural support columns for the building’s overhang were constructed too close to Rath Avenue and did not comply with the approved site plan. ASR Real Estate subsequently sued the city, arguing the building had been constructed according to plans previously approved by city officials.
In March, 51st Circuit Court Judge Eric R. Fox granted a preliminary injunction in favor of ASR Real Estate and ordered the city to rescind the stop-work order, allowing construction to resume while the lawsuit continued. Fox found ASR had demonstrated a likelihood of success on the merits of its claims and that inconsistencies in the approved site plan made simultaneous compliance with all requirements impossible.
Under the temporary occupancy permit, the second-floor area extending over the Rath Avenue sidewalk must remain closed to the public until a license agreement is executed and a final certificate of occupancy is issued. The temporary permit expires Sept. 14.
In June, the city replaced traffic cones along the west side of the 100 block of South Rath Avenue with concrete barricades near the building’s support columns. City Manager Kaitlyn Aldrich said the barriers were installed because of increased vehicle and pedestrian activity downtown and would remain a temporary safety measure while the dispute is unresolved.
The underlying lawsuit remains pending in Mason County’s 51st Circuit Court.
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