Work already underway to transform property for June opening
It’s been the common question around town the last few weeks, “what is happening with the former Cliff House of Folsom?” Now, its official and were getting a look at what future looks like for the longtime restaurant venue by the Rainbow Bridge as it soon transforms into Crawdads on the Lake.
After several years of name changes, menu changes and different attempts to succeed, the Cliff House abruptly closed its doors in early February. Soon after, the building went into escrow after being purchased by the duo of Todd Zancaner and Trevor Shults, co-owners of the famed Crawdads on the River venue that overlooks the river in Sacramento along the Garden Highway.
“We are delighted to see new ownership and a fresh look to this iconic restaurant and location,” said Joe Gagliardi, CEO of Choose Folsom and the Folsom Chamber of Commerce. “We receive many inquiries about its rundown condition and are excited to hear of the plans to return it to be a glorious destination.”
Crawdads on the River has been a popular destination for decades, attracting boaters and recreationalists to enjoy a well stacked menu of eats and cocktails, as well as enjoy live music. As they reinvent the former Cliff House, the new owners will look to bring that successful culture to Folsom.
“We were in the mode to do something new but didn’t know what it was going to be until the Cliff House space became available. This place holds a special spot in our hearts, as it does for a lot of people that grew up in the area,” explained Shults. “We will be renovating the space and bringing our Crawdads concept to Crawdads on the Lake”
With hopes to be open and operating by mid June of this year, Crawdads on the Lake will bring a fresh look to the Cliff House building. The new owners have laid out nearly $1 million in proposed plans remodel the location, part of which will include greatly expanding the outdoor patio of the venue.
The interior of the restaurant will also connect the outdoor area with large roll up doors that can be opened during the nice weather. When its complete, Crawdads will have approximately 8,500 square feet of interior dining space and 2,000 square feet of outdoor dining space.
The restaurant will be home to both a café area and a full service restaurant that plans to offer breakfast, lunch and dinner with a vast menu of specialty beverages from coffees to cocktails and everything in between. To accompany the menu, the location plans to host live music which is one of its key attractions at its Sacramento location.
