The Mason Jar, local café and restaurant, was recently remodelled and expanded. After being closed for three weeks, the doors were reopened to the public on Jan. 6. Upon reopening, newly interested, as well as frequent, customers stopped by to see the new space, according to owner Douglas LaBar.

The Mason Jar had 30 seats available inside the venue previous to the renovation. The once small restaurant has now doubled in size to 1,450 square feet allowing more space for customers to spend extended periods of time there. The café expanded due to lack of space, meaning a lot of business at once could not be dealt with easily. The issue of concentrated foot traffic is now resolved with the expansion of the restaurant into the next building. The Mason Jar now offers 60 seats inside with an additional 30 in the patio seating area.

The larger space gives students a more comfortable place to spend time with friends, study or simply enjoy the ambiance. The owner planned the expansion with the intent of hosting more clientele. “The Saturday morning rush is one of the Mason Jar’s busiest times and it needed to be accommodated,” LaBar said.

Not only have the dimensions of the restaurant expanded, but so has the menu. It now features four new sandwiches, more pot pies and a larger selection of beers and wines. The Mason Jar will now also be offering all-day brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. Staples of the Mason Jar restaurant include their sandwiches and fresh coffee.

The Mason Jar is known for being the only restaurant in Cheney to allow underage customers to remain on the premises after 9 p.m., when alcoholic beverages are being served to customers of age to drink. Another characteristic that sets the restaurant apart from its competitors is the inclusion of live music.

Live music is played every Thursday night, but due to renovations finishing sooner than expected, the reopening week featured no live music. The Mason Jar will continue to host its weekly music nights starting on Jan. 14.

EWU student Arika Lewis said she thinks The Mason Jar’s expansion was a smart decision. “I was excited about the expansion when I heard about it and I will probably be stopping by more often,” Lewis said. Lewis is not alone in her decision to make more frequent stops at The Mason Jar. “I enjoy going there so I’m glad they’ve added space and I will be going a lot more,” sophomore Oliver Rankin said.

The Mason Jar accepts Eagle Flex money, making it especially student-friendly.

“The Mason Jar has built a name for itself among the college students, professors, retired professors, local district teachers and people from both Spokane and Cheney,” LaBar said.