With the June 29 groundbreaking out of the way, the much anticipated opening of Wolf Bay Lodge in Foley has a holiday ring to it.

“We are scheduled to be open by Dec. 1. We feel comfortable with that,” Foley Economic Development Director Jeff Rouzie said this week.

Indeed, holiday bookings are already taking place.

“I’ve already booked two Christmas parties — one on Dec. 7 and one on Dec. 9th,” said Al Mullek, who handles booking for Wolf Bay Lodge.

Talks were ongoing for six months concerning the legendary restaurant re-opening in Foley. Wolf Bay Lodge in Elberta, the restaurant’s site since 1973, burned a couple of years ago, and owners Alice Bretz and Charlene Haber reached an agreement with the City of Foley to re-open the restaurant at the old Wilson Pecan site at 20801 Miflin Road.

“We are all very excited,” Rouzie said, noting Bretz and Haber are looking forward to reaching the restaurant’s traditional “base customer” from the more centralized location in Foley.

Among Wolf Bay Lodge’s clientele, Rouzie said the restaurant always drew customers from Summerdale to Robertsdale and Magnolia Springs to Fairhope, and now, at the new site, those areas can more readily be served by the landmark eatery.

Mullek said the new Wolf Bay Lodge will be 2,000 square feet larger than the old Lodge and will seat over 400 people.

The $1.3 million project includes three different banquet rooms that each seat 75. Folding partitions - something the old Lodge had - make it possible to seat 200 for weddings and parties, said Mullek, who has a 31 year association with Wolf Bay Lodge.

To contact Mullek for a booking, call 962-2323.