Pannekoeken has a sweet spot for downtown

A popular name is returning to the Rochester restaurant scene.

Pannekoeken has found 5,000 square feet of space in an area on the north side of downtown now buzzing with redevelopment activity.

News of the opening was first reported Tuesday by the P-B’s Jeff Kiger.

Restaurant owner Tasos Psomas says he hopes to have the restaurant — which will now go by Hollandberry Pannekoeken — up and running by June of this year. Many of the same items from the previous location, including the Dutch-style pancakes, will remain on the menu. About half of the former staff are returning to work at the new spot.

Pannekoeken has been closed since last year when the demolition of the former Days Inn hotel forced the business out of its home of 13 years.

The new location, just a few blocks east of the old spot, is inside a strip mall at 210 North Broadway (former location of Dison's Cleaners, Nelson Cheese, among others). Tasos, along with realtor Bucky Beeman, are working to renovate the commercial center. While other tenants have not been announced, Beeman told us this winter that they are actively looking for “the right mix of businesses [in an] exciting area of town.”

The modernized Pannekoeken will be positioned right across the street from the new Castle Community project. The nearby Avalon building is also undergoing a renovation project that includes a new bistro.

Follow Sean on Twitter.