Business in Bismarck is booming! So be sure to keep up with all the local action by tuning in every Tuesday during the Evening Report as Jim Christianson takes you "Inside Business".

Schlotzsky`s Deli | 6/26/2012

On the north end of Bismarck, the new signs are up and Schlotzsky`s Deli is nearly ready to reopen.

"It looks a little like a restaurant now, but by Sunday morning, it`ll look a lot like a restaurant," said owner Bill Shalhoob.

Shalhoob took over the space of the former Great American Steak Buffet late last year. In a little more than six months, contractors have gutted and renovated the property both inside and out.

"If you were building the building from scratch, it probably would`ve taken a little longer than that. Because in the middle of winter, we never would`ve been able to get the foundation and the footings in."

Shalhoob says they were able to customize the new location, adding 30 additional seats as well as a drive-up window to accommodate the increased traffic.

"Without a drive-thru and without additional seating, it just didn`t make any sense, so that`s when we started looking for a new location and this became available."

Besides offering sandwiches and pizzas, national chain Cinnabon will also operate out of the new space. Shalhoob says they plan to hire around 12 more workers to handle what he expects to be a busy crowd. But for those who frequented the former location near K-Mart, Shalhoob says customers may be surprised by the new image.

"Schlotzsky`s has a new design, new colors, new everything. And as part of the agreement, we had to go out and buy all new stuff. We just auctioned off the old stuff. So when they come in the door, the menu board will be the same, the cash registers will be the same. And everything else is different."

This weekend, loyal customers will get their first taste of the new surroundings.

Shalhoob says he may open a second Schlotzsky`s on the south end of Bismarck if he can find space.