Historic Candlestick Inn plans spring 2014 reopening

Candlestick Inn owner Jim Cox said he plans to rebuild the popular fine dining destination overlooking Lake Taneycomo.

The 50-year-old property sustained heavy damage in the 2012 Leap Day tornado, and Cox said crews should begin demolition on the restaurant’s remains around the end of May.

He expects to have the Candlestick Inn open to the public by spring 2014.

“It took 12 months to collect 70 percent of what we should have gotten in the first 90 days,” Cox said, pointing to a now-completed dispute with Michigan-based North Pointe Insurance as the reason the property has not yet been repaired.

Cox also said he is working to resolve claims issues with insurance brokerage Connell Insurance.

During the next year, Cox said he would hire new staff members and make several announcements regarding his plans, which include trying to preserve elements of the former restaurant. Key to the plans are doubling seating for guests and maintaining hilltop views of the lake. Cox said he expects construction to cost $2 million.

“We were 4,500 square feet; we will be 9,000 square feet,” Cox said, adding the project is being financed in part by Liberty Bank. “We had 900 feet of deck; we will have 2,400 square feet of deck. And we will have more window seating than ever before.”

The fine dining restaurant had been named by 417 Magazine as Best Branson Restaurant five times and featured in the Dallas Morning News, according to CandlestickInn.com.