Outside seating, a higher occupancy and an additional bar are among the amenities that will be added to the Giant Locker Room when it moves later this summer, owner Scott Dalton said.
The sports bar will move two blocks from its location on the corner of University Avenue and Martin Street to 1813 W. University Ave., the property previously occupied by Wing-Out.
Although no date for the move has been set, Dalton has the option to renew his current lease in the summer or fall, and he plans to move before the beginning of Fall Semester, he said.
"It's not something we can do overnight," he said.
Dalton, who has owned the Locker Room for three years, said he has been looking at moving to the new location for more than a year and considered the move each time the property became vacant.
Being closer to campus near the intersection of University and McKinley avenues was one of the reasons for moving the bar, he said.
"It'll be the first restaurant you'll see off of campus," he said, saying the bar is not usually recognized as a restaurant but has one of the largest menus in town.
The bar, which is often filled to its 150-person capacity on weekend nights, will be able to hold about 300 people in its new location. The bar's menu will remain similar, but small adjustments, such as the addition of gyros, will be made, Dalton said.
Dalton said he is excited for the move, as it will give the bar two levels, a fireplace and window seating with a view of the Village.
"The outside seating is a huge plus," said 2006 graduate John Kaiser, who regularly visits the Giant Locker Room. Kaiser said he would frequent the bar in its new location provided all the bar's current attractions are still available.
Dalton said he did not want to talk about whether rent prices affected his decision to move, but he would have made the move regardless of price. He is unsure what will occupy the Giant Locker Room space after the move, he said.
Myles Ogea, owner of the space currently occupied by the Giant Locker Room, could not be reached for comment. Employees at ADM Realty, the company that leases the space Dalton said he plans to move the bar to, declined to comment on whether Dalton would take over the space.
Before Dalton took ownership of the bar, the Giant Locker Room was known as the Locker Room. Prior to that, it was called Tony's Locker Room and was located near Scheumann Stadium, Dalton said.