Jake's City Grille now sits where Kelly's used to be on County Road 77 near Ski Gull. Before that the spot was the Birchwood Inn.

Jake's City Grille opened its doors May 4 on County Road 77 outside of Lake Shore. The restaurant previously was Kelly's.

After a long history of restaurants on that particular site, Jake's opened its doors May 4 and became yet another restaurant to find the spot perfect for business.

In January, the new owners, brothers Rob and Tony Jacob, who own other restaurants in the Twin Cities, bought Kelly's after it closed its doors.

The Jacobs both have cabins within a few miles of the site and had been frequent visitors at Kelly's.

The patio was remodeled and now seats about 100 guests.

"They had been coming to Kelly's for a long time, and they thought this would be a great opportunity for them to open up a restaurant up here," said Jami Boutin, general manager at Jake's.

The Jacobs had very distinct ideas for how they wanted their new restaurant to look and feel.

"They wanted to bring up a touch of the Cities with an up north feel. They didn't want to lose the sense that you are up at the cabin," Boutin said.

The remodel included every facet of the restaurant, and the dining rooms, bar and patio now have totally different looks.

Boutin worked for eight years at Kelly's for two previous owners before being hired at Jake's, and she said the changes are astounding.

"I don't even recognize it in here - what it used to be like. It looks great and now it can seat a lot more people," Boutin said.

Jake's interior has new slate tile flooring, a granite bar, flat-screen televisions and old photographs.

The patio now seats around 100 people and features wrought iron fencing.

Jake's is open every day, from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Mondays through Thursdays and for breakfast at 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. Fridays through Sundays.

Boutin said the hours might change in the winter months.

After the new owners took possession in January, the restaurant underwent major remodeling, including in the bar area.

After a few months of being open, Boutin said business is very good for Jake's.

"We've been so busy, more busy than I ever would have imagined," Boutin said.

Boutin attributes part of their success to their menu and to the quality of the food.

"Almost everything we make here is homemade. Our French fries and ice cream are the only things that aren't homemade," Boutin said.

Some of their most popular items have been lobster tacos, Greek chicken flatbread, and herb chicken dinner.