Branson-area restaurant expanding to Republic

Photo provided by Flat Creek Resort Bar & Grill

On Table Rock Lake, Flat Creek’s main restaurant produces $3 million in annual sales, owners say.

Flat Creek Resort Bar & Grill is expanding outside of the Table Rock Lake area.

Co-owner Josh Rasmussen said the restaurant venture is coming to Republic this fall. Rasmussen and co-owner and founder Alan Kram signed on as anchor tenant for a three-building development being constructed by the Pinegar family across the street from Pinegar Chevrolet Inc. at 769 E. Highway 60 in Republic.

Rasmussen said the 11,000-square-foot restaurant would seat more than 400 people and employ over 100 workers. H Design Group LLC designed the new restaurant, he said.

“We feel like we’re going to pull from Springfield and Ozark and Nixa, and turn our once-a-month customers into once-a-week customers,” he said.

In Cape Fair, about 28 miles northwest of Branson, Flat Creek Resort Bar & Grill’s main restaurant operates out of 9,200 square feet. It also has boat parking for customers seeking its staples of catfish and fried chicken, as well as crab legs, burgers and sandwiches. Additionally, Flat Creek rents rooms at its resort and has two seasonal eateries on the lake. The restaurant has nearly 18,000 likes on Facebook.

“We’re a destination on the lake,” said Rasmussen, who a year and a half ago became a 50 percent owner of the venture.

Rasmussen said 2017 sales were around $4 million — $3 million of which came from its main location. He expects Republic sales to exceed $3 million annually.