Silver Lake Chicken Shack expanding with second location, new name in Grandville

Silver Lake Chicken Shack expanding with second location, new name in Grandville

GRANDVILLE — An Oceana County restaurant that has made a name for itself over the last decade for its rotisserie chicken wings is expanding with a second location in Grandville.

Silver Lake Chicken Shack at 8301 W. Hazel Road in Mears is a seasonal operation owned by Craig Cihak, who also owns Craig’s Cruisers entertainment centers. The restaurant has gained popularity over the years, which led to branching out with a year-round location close to Grand Rapids, said Scott Butcher, general manager of Spring Lake Chicken Shack. 

The new location will be at 4505 Canal Ave. SW, just west of RiverTown Crossings mall where Famous Dave’s restaurant formerly operated. The chain closed in January this year.
Construction has started on what will be a full remodel of the space, and the restaurant is expected to open in January of February 2021 under the name Billy Bones. The new location will be a year-round operation, but the owners plan to keep the original Spring Lake restaurant open during the summer as well, Butcher said.

“We’re excited to see what we can do,” Butcher said. “We’ve checked out a lot of places in Grand Rapids and we feel like we can offer a great product at a reasonable price.”

The Chicken Shack uses dry rub and sauces from Billy Bones BBQ, which the restaurant owners acquired in 2019. Eventually the Silver Lake Chicken Shack will also go through a name transition to Billy Bones along with the new location.

The Silver Lake restaurant could seat about 450 people before the pandemic and has a full bar and hosted live music, Butcher said. The owners plan to keep the same cafeteria style format in the new location and create a sports bar atmosphere with a full bar while adding an expanded menu and full kitchen, Butcher said. 

Post-pandemic, owners hope to seat about 180 people at Billy Bones in Grandville and have a patio that seats 60-80, Butcher said. Customers will also have the option to order from kiosks.

The Silver Lake restaurant staffs about 50 employees, which Butcher expects to be about the same at the new restaurant.

“We wanted to give this a whirl and translate the success we have (in Silver Lake) and do it all year round,” Butcher said. 

Catering demand from the Grand Rapids and Muskegon areas also contributed to the need for an expansion, Butcher said.