Ball State University students who are worried that Baskin Robbins on McGalliard Avenue will take its 31 flavors and leave town once its building is leased to other businesses have nothing to fear.
Baskin Robbins owner Bob Walsh said that after almost four decades in its Northwest Plaza location, the restaurant began renovations Monday at the former Marathon gas station next to Tire Barn on Wheeling Avenue.
Baskin Robbins' current building, which was also home to the former Teicher Theaters' Northwest Plaza Dollar Movies 5, will become a Ruby Tuesday restaurant.
Ruby Tuesday spokesperson Anna Nathan said the restaurant will open July 7. The building will be about 4,000 square feet, seat 175 customers and employ about 80 people, she said.
Ruby Tuesday chose the Northwest Plaza location because it was "one of the best locations available," Nathan said.
Ruby Tuesday will not completely demolish the building, but it will make additions, she said.
Walsh said he didn't plan to re-open his Baskin Robbins until this spring, but he had to move sooner than expected because of the Ruby Tuesday owners starting demolition of the current building.
"It wasn't supposed to happen until this fall," he said. "We thought we had more time."
The ice cream parlor will re-open at the new location in late May or early June, he said. He did not know the exact date when the current location will close, but it will be late April or early May, he said.
The new Baskin Robbins will have a different image including features such as a drive-through window, outdoor seating and a 400 square-foot larger building, Walsh said.
"It's a lot more bright and whimsical," he said. "We'll have different characters and new products."
Along with the traditional ice cream flavors, the menu will include changes such as new smoothie flavors and sundae selections, Walsh said.
"The new image has a sundae station that has all the toppings," he said. "We will make it for you and you can watch."
There are some products being tested, but he declined to provide their names because they haven't been approved.
Walsh began to plan the move last fall so he could have the new accommodations in his restaurant, he said.
"I talked to [the franchise] last fall and told them that I wanted to go with the new image," Walsh said. "I wanted to go somewhere where we could have a drive-through. They were going to move me behind Hobby Lobby. Nobody would see me there."
NEW LOCATIONS:Baskin RobbinsWill be located at the former Marathon gas station on Wheeling AvenueWill reopen in late May or early July
Ruby TuesdayWill be located in Northwest PlazaWill open July 7
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