It seems there's a new venue with reclaimed wood and industrial furnishings opening up every day on the near west side of Cleveland. Yet Jon Mavrakis, who is opening up the new craft sandwich and beer bistro Local West in Gordon Square with his dad and brother, says his new eatery will fill a gap in the marketplace. Every sandwich will be locally sourced, and they'll be priced between $8 and $14. Local West also plans to offer delivery service, something that is not widely available.

"We'll be able to deliver craft sandwiches and a six pack of craft beer right to your doorstep, if that's what you want," says Mavrakis, a real estate broker who owns CitiRoc, a real estate sales and marketing firm focused on the urban market.

Local West, which will be located in the former Niko's Greek Grille at 7400 Detroit, is expected to open by January. Mavrakis says they will source all of their meats, poultry and produce from Ohio, and will make their burgers from scratch with grass fed beef. Orlando Baking Company will supply locally made bread. The menu will feature burgers, Cuban and pressed sandwiches and poutine. 

"We'll have homemade sides and exotic things like octopus sandwiches or a beef tongue sandwich," he says. "We'll have an Italian double dip sandwich with prime cuts in it. It's not going to be a Subway by any stretch of the imagination."

The bistro is considered family-friendly and will be open from 11 a.m. until about 11 p.m. The owners have applied for a full liquor license but only plan to serve craft beer and wine. Most of the selections will be from Ohio, and they'll only serve bottles. Mavrakis says he's excited that Banter is opening up next door.

The building seats about 35 people inside and fits another 18 on the front patio. The venue will be very casual and will only offer counter service. Mavrakis says they're only sprucing up the exterior, but the interior will be "dramatically different."

"We'll have reclaimed wood with wrapping around it, and all our furniture will made from recycled wood and steel we had fabricated," he says. "We'll have vintage chandeliers and lighting. It’s basically going to be a walkup open kitchen where you’re going to order from the chef."

Local West benefited from several incentives from the City of Cleveland, says Mavrakis, including a Neighborhood Retail Assistance Grant for new job creation. With the addition of Banter and Local West, the Gordon Square Arts District is now seeing development activity spread further west along Detroit Avenue.