Red's Old 395 Grill owners expanding to Sparks

The owners of Red's Old 395 Grill in Carson City and the Little Waldorf Saloon in Reno are opening their third Northern Nevada location at Golden Eagle Regional Park in Sparks.

Construction is under way at Red's Golden Eagle Grill, and the restaurant is expected to be open by the middle of summer, says Mark Schloss, director of operations.

The shell of the 3,800-square-foot restaurant, which includes a four-sided deck, was completed when the park was built out in 2008. The restaurant originally was to be a Bully's location, but tenant improvements never were completed, so Red's/Little Waldorf owners Al Ehringer, Jack Sterling and Schloss took over the project.

The owners are operating a concession stand in the downstairs area of the building while tenant improvements to the restaurant are completed. Golden Eagle Regional Park is heavily used by youth softball, soccer and football leagues from spring through fall.

The restaurant is planned for seasonal operation, but Schloss says it may stay open year-round if local demand can support the business.

"We think we have a market out there," he says "The concession stand will suffice until mid summer, and the long-run plan is to be open 365 days a year. We will make that determination when October comes around.

"If the economy hasn't come back fully by that point, we are planning on being seasonal," he adds. "Our original plan was to be seasonal, but the longer we are out there and the more people we talk to, I think we will make a go at being year round. That part of Spanish Springs is kind of out there by itself, and we want to get people some options out there."

And like the current locations, interior finishes at Red's Golden Eagle Grill will have a rustic look.

Last year builder Tom Metcalf salvaged redwood, cedar and Douglas fir decking from a large condominium renovation at Lake Tahoe, and the 40-year-old wood was milled for interior paneling at the new restaurant.

"I have always salvaged material from my job sites and kept it in my yard for this purpose," Metcalf says. "By salvaging that material, I was basically able to donate the lumber to the project and kept costs down. In today's economy that is also a plus."

JC Woodwork and Equipment of Minden, who did the interior work at Red's Old 395 Grill, milled the wood with a band saw into _ and 1-inch thick planks.

Metcalf says the large, open-frame trusses on the interior of the building have a barn-like look and will be painted barn red, while the old wood siding will be clear-sealed to preserve its rustic look.