Good Bites owner opening new restaurant at old Baja Grille location.
It was John Fraser’s idea to leave his job at Walnut Hills Country Club and start his own restaurant. He thought opening a food truck first would allow him to get the funds and skills needed for a restaurant. So on May 31, 2014, Good Bites Food Truck was driving around for business.
It has been almost five years since the truck opened, but now, on the corner of West Michigan 36 and South Jefferson Street, another one of Fraser’s visions is coming to life. Construction of his new restaurant is beginning this month.
William Faucett, operations coordinator and a chef for Good Bites, said it will be a learning experience.
“Very nervous, very excited. It will be another situation were we’ll just learn as we go,” Faucett said. “I’m sure soon we will be looking for a lot of new hands on deck. It will be exciting.”
The new restaurant, will be in the building that housed the Baja Grille, which caught fire in June of 2015. Since then, the space has been empty, but financing and grants have been approved to transform the building.
Even with the new location, the food truck will still stay on the road. On most days, the food truck can be found behind Bad Brewing Co. The truck and Bad Brewing do not have an official partnership, but it’s mutually beneficial for both businesses when the truck is parked and serving food on the patio.
The food from the truck is no average meal. Ingredients come from local farms making the food fresh. Fan favorites include pan-fried mac and cheese, No Joke Nachos and hand cut fries.
Faucett said his years with the company have been a pleasure.
“It’s just been wonderful really. The biggest thing is working with people you trust and people you care about. It makes all the hard work and long hours a lot more bearable,” Faucett said.