GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Social Kitchen and Bar, a popular, upscale casual restaurant in suburban Detroit, will open in Downtown Market later this year, it was announced on Monday, Feb. 23.

Owner and chef Zack Sklar said he believes his format will please the following the market has built since it opened at 435 Ionia Ave. SW in September 2013. Sklar said he also will bring his catering business, Cutting Edge Cuisine, to the market.

"I think it will be a home run. It's not pretentious, it's not overly expensive and everything is made from scratch," said Sklar, a 29-year-old alumnus of the Culinary Institute of America, in an interview with MLive and The Grand Rapids Press.

"This place is really for everyone, rich and poor," said Sklar. "We have a turkey burger served on pita bread, but we grind the turkey in-house and make the pita to order. We have a hamburger, but we grind the hamburger in-house and bake our own bun."

Sklar, who opened Social Kitchen and Bar in Birmingham three years ago, said his Grand Rapids restaurant will feature a similar menu with updated decor. He said he is looking forward to using the Downtown Market's indoor and outdoor vendors to stock his pantry and create new dishes.

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The new restaurant in the northeast corner of the market's indoor hall will fill in the large space that has become an impromptu food court since the market opened in September, 2013. The restaurant also will have some outdoor seating.

Sklar, who said he hopes to open by ArtPrize this fall, said he expects to seat around 200 in the space.

The restaurant will begin with a dinner menu and serve a Sunday brunch, Sklar said. The restaurant will "slowly work into lunch" and depending on its reception, it may expand to a breakfast menu, he said.

The restaurant will be one of five that Sklar manages as the majority owner. He also has opened a Mexican restaurant in suburban Detroit and is opening two restaurants in Chicago this year.

Sklar said he looks forward to opening a restaurant near Slows Bar BQ, a Detroit restaurant that is opening a new restaurant in the southeast corner of the market this summer.

"I respect the hell out of those guys, they're phenomenal," he said. "I just hope I get all of the people waiting in their lines to come over to Social Kitchen."

Sklar said he expects the restaurant and catering business to employ 50 to 75 persons on a full-time basis and a total of 100 when part-time positions are included.

Downtown Market President and CEO Mimi Fritz said the on-site catering business will fill a growing need for market and community.

The market has become a popular venue for business receptions, birthday parties and weddings, Fritz said.

"We have over 50 weddings booked for 2015 already," Fritz said. "We were projected to have less than 50 events in total for the year."

Jim Harger covers business for MLive/Grand Rapids Press. Email him at jharger@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter or Facebook or Google+.