MITCHELL — After Chef Louie’s Steakhouse and Lounge closed for business in January 2022, Cary Fredericksen received repeated phone calls from Mitchell developer Chuck Mauszycki Sr. about opening up a new Chef Louie’s.
After eight months of calls, Fredericksen said he realized he should get on board.
Fredericksen told those gathered for the new Chef Louie’s Steakhouse and Lounge groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday afternoon that the steakhouse will have great food.
“That’s where we started, and a year and a half later, here we are on the onset of breaking ground,” Fredericksen said.
The restaurant is to be located along Commerce Street, north of Little Learners childcare center on the State Highway 37 Bypass. Fredericksen will be the CEO and manager and hopes for the restaurant to open by the first part of 2027.
Builder Paul Groeneweg told the Mitchell Republic ground work will start within a month and he is shooting for an end of the year completion. A concrete slab and framing will happen within three months. Growenweg’s construction company has built 24 buildings along Commerce Street, he said.
The original restaurant opened in 1945 and was a cornerstone for decades at the corner of Burr Street and Havens Avenue as a location for fine dining.
Fredericksen told the Mitchell Republic that many of the old recipes and menu are returning, including the filet oscar, chicken marsala, rack of lamb, steaks, seafood fondue, brandy chicken and the prime rib cannoli, which is a prime rib wrapped with prosciutto, ham, mushrooms, asparagus, rolled up and topped with Bearnaise sauce and crab meat.
“It’s the bomb,” Fredericksen said.
In terms of dessert, Fredericksen hopes for the tiramisu to make a comeback, but isn’t quite sure yet. Other dessert staples are set to return, including the carrot cake, crème brûlée and whipped cream layered chocolate cake.
A 15-inch bone-in steak was the most expensive item on the menu, according to Joanna Allen, a former Chef Louie’s waitress who is now the vice president of relations, communications, and engagement at the Mitchell Chamber of Commerce.
“When you’re serving, the first time somebody orders it’s a big deal,” Allen said.
There are 18 investors in the restaurant and six of these are builders, according to Mauszycki. He praised the word of mouth of his investors for bringing people to the site.
“They’re from Mitchell, and that’s just what I wanted,” Mauszycki said.
Chef Louie’s Chief Financial Officer Christine Mauszycki said the new restaurant will bring a much-needed dining option to a part of the city she believes is currently under served.
“There’s not much for dining on the north end of town, and the town has really grown to the north — lots of residential,” Christine Mauszycki said.
Mitchell Area Development Corporation CEO Mike Lauritsen stated that everyone was excited about bringing back a Mitchell staple.
“Everybody looks forward to making new memories at Chef Louie’s and talking about old memories with family and friends at the old Chef Louie’s, and enjoying food,” Lauritsen said.
1/13: Cary Fredericksen celebrates at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Chef Louie’s Steakhouse and Lounge on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, in Mitchell.
Marshall Mitchell / Mitchell Republic
2/13: Chuck Mauszycki, Sr., Christine Mauszycki, Cary Fredericksen, Larry Fredericksen, and Chance Fredericksen at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Chef Louie’s Steakhouse and Lounge on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, in Mitchell.
Marshall Mitchell / Mitchell Republic
3/13: Cary Fredericksen and Larry Fredericksen at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Chef Louie’s Steakhouse and Lounge on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, in Mitchell.
Marshall Mitchell / Mitchell Republic
4/13: Chuck Mauszycki, Sr. sepeaks at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Chef Louie’s Steakhouse and Lounge on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, in Mitchell.
Marshall Mitchell / Mitchell Republic
5/13: Chuck Mauszycki, Sr. speaks at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Chef Louie’s Steakhouse and Lounge on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, in Mitchell.
Marshall Mitchell / Mitchell Republic
6/13: Scenes from the groundbreaking ceremony for the Chef Louie’s Steakhouse and Lounge on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, in Mitchell.
Marshall Mitchell / Mitchell Republic
7/13: Cary Fredericksen signs an operating agreement for the Chef Louie’s Steakhouse and Lounge after a ground breaking ceremony on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, in Mitchell.
Marshall Mitchell / Mitchell Republic
8/13: Commerce Street is being expanded north, as pictured on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, in Mitchell.
Marshall Mitchell / Mitchell Republic
9/13: Scenes from the groundbreaking ceremony for the Chef Louie’s Steakhouse and Lounge on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, in Mitchell.
Marshall Mitchell / Mitchell Republic
10/13: Scenes from the groundbreaking ceremony for the Chef Louie’s Steakhouse and Lounge on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, in Mitchell.
Marshall Mitchell / Mitchell Republic
11/13: Scenes from the groundbreaking ceremony for the Chef Louie’s Steakhouse and Lounge on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, in Mitchell.
Marshall Mitchell / Mitchell Republic
12/13: Scenes from the groundbreaking ceremony for the Chef Louie’s Steakhouse and Lounge on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, in Mitchell.
Marshall Mitchell / Mitchell Republic
13/13: Scenes from the groundbreaking ceremony for the Chef Louie’s Steakhouse and Lounge on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, in Mitchell.
Marshall Mitchell / Mitchell Republic
In late 2025, the planned steakhouse was approved for Tax Increment Financing District No. 44. The boundary of TIF No. 44 is north of Little Learners daycare, encompasses three platted lots over 6.26 acres, and has an easterly limit of Highway 37 Bypass. The estimated increment financing for the project is $2.9 million, which is the amount estimated to be generated by the properties within the tax district in its 20-year maximum lifespan. However, the project’s total increment-eligible costs are $5.46 million of an estimated $9.2 million build.
The proposed steakhouse will have 15 full-time employees and 25 part-time employees, according to the project plan. The roughly 13,000-square-foot steakhouse and lounge has plans for nearly 2,500-square feet of main dining, a bar, a banquet hall, a board room and casino area.
The new building is expected to have a capacity of 272 people, according to Fredericksen. The old building could handle about 300 patrons on the main floor and about 100 patrons in a buffet style in the basement.
Chuck Mauszycki Sr. has complementary businesses in the works to go within the boundary of the tax district and contracts are pending, according to Mauszycki.
A familiar fixture will also be returning. Louie the Steer, the giant faux cow at the Martin-Trudeau Insurance Agency at West Elm Avenue and South Ohlman Street, will be making its way back to Chef Louie’s, according to Mike Mauszycki. The cow was a staple for years in front of the main entrance.
Chuck Mauszycki Sr. said the steakhouse would have “good food, good service and good value.”
“We won’t have any trouble being found with the institution that we are, so this is a good place for it,” he said.
Marshall Mitchell is a reporter with the Mitchell Republic covering local news and politics. He has over 15 years of experience working with leaders, authors, non-profits, and small businesses in publishing, marketing, and content creation. He moved to Mitchell in December 2024, and can’t wait to hear from you. Reach out to him at mmitchell@mitchellrepublic.com.
