12439313_484284591742952_3219073152640041195_n.jpg

A new local food concept celebrating all things nerdy will arrive soon on Jordan Lane in Huntsville.

Toybox Bistro will operate next door to Sugar Belle in Steadman's Corner in a portion of the old Beauregard's building, which closed in December 2014. The business will be run by Madison resident Michelle Timon, founder and chair for Hamacon, a popular anime convention that attracts thousands of visitors to the Von Braun Center in downtown Huntsville each year.

Timon hopes Toybox Bistro will be a hit with the area's geeky, high-tech community.

"We are literally 'Geek Central' between the engineer folk and everybody," she said. "It's kind of cool to be a geek now, it's cool to be a nerd and to have these interests of fandoms and things like that. Why not offer them an opportunity to really immerse themselves into it?"

Toybox Bistro is a homage in some ways to Timon's late husband, Steve, who died five years ago from cancer. Timon said Steve was "an enormous collector" who filled her house with lots of cool, high-end toys and games.

One of the dining tables, for example, is decorated with cards from Steve's Star Trek trivia game, which was hiding in Timon's closet until recently. Other tables feature cards from Dragon Ball Z, Yu-Gi-Oh! and Magic: The Gathering.

"The running joke is I opened a restaurant to get the stuff out of my house," she said.

The restaurant will feature figurines, murals, classic board games, and 350 different Pez containers purchased on eBay. The bar is topped with what Timon said are the "nerd symbols of the world," representing anime, superheroes and gaming.

Timon, who is originally from upstate New York, was a short-order cook years ago, while her boyfriend has 25 years of restaurant management experience.

"I wanted a new challenge," she said. "I wanted something to build and be proud of and say this is something that's kind of honoring (Steve's) memory but also something that I made."

Timon is working with her best friend Bill Bridgmon, whom she met in high school. Bridgmon, who has helped dozens of clients launch restaurants, said his first reaction to learning Timon wanted to open her own place was "no freaking way."

After some persistence on Timon's part, Bridgmon agreed to help her and be the chef of Toybox Bistro.

"It takes a certain kind of crazy to even want to do this," he said. "If you do it long enough, it doesn't seem crazy anymore, it just seems normal. Every time you see someone stepping toward the edge, you're like, 'Don't do it. You're normal. You're OK.' But she wanted it."

Toybox Bistro will be open Monday through Saturday and specialize in what Bridgmon calls "elevated pub grub and comfort food with attitude." The menu will vary from chicken and waffle sliders to an "Obligatory Ridiculous Burger."

For customers who have a short lunch hour, Toybox Bistro will offer certain menu items they can order in just 10 minutes. Local and regional craft beer, wine and root beer will be available.

Visit the Toybox Bistro Facebook page for opening updates.