BIRMINGHAM, Mich. (WXYZ) — After being closed for four years and undergoing millions in renovation work, the historic Big Rock is back open in Birmingham.
Watch Whitney Burney's video report:
The renovated Big Rock Italian Chophouse features luxurious seating, beautiful lighting, and an extensive wine selection as part of its $13 million transformation.
"It's a big staff, it's a big restaurant. Everything about it is big, that's the best way to describe it, but that's what makes it special," said Steve Hermiz, General Manager of Big Rock Italian Chophouse and The Rock Cigar Club.
The former train station, which was converted into a restaurant in the 1980s, closed its doors in 2021 after 40 years of service. Now under new ownership but keeping its familiar name, the Italian steakhouse has already generated significant buzz in the community.
"It's incredible. It's about a $13 million project. Our second largest/ most expensive, behind Ocean Prime Las Vegas. So it's something we take a lot of pride in being a part of this next chapter and storied history of Big Rock. Part of why we kept the name is because of that history," Hermiz said.
Web extra: Walkthrough of Big Rock Chophouse
The history is visible throughout the establishment, including in the Eton Station Room, which is designed to resemble a luxury train car. Setting itself apart from its previous iteration, the restaurant now also includes an exclusive cigar club called The Rock.
"There is an exclusivity to it. We do offer $5,000 yearly lockers that come with many perks and benefits. One being access to the cigar lounge upstairs, a cigar locker, as well as access to any of our restaurants across the country," Hermiz said.
When asked what he was most excited about for the opening, Hermiz emphasized customer service: "We're excited about what we call raving fan service, making raving fans of our guests."
The restaurant is already fully booked for the next few weeks, but staff members are eager to welcome even more guests in the coming months.
—————————————
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
