HOUGHTON – If people are unclear about where 305 Lakeshore Drive is, Trish Kappler has an answer: “the ugly little yellow welding shop that’s on the lakeshore and is just a big eyesore.”

That’s set to change this year, when Roy’s Pasties & Bakery remodels the building for its new location.

Roy’s received a commitment from the Michigan Economic Development Corp. last week for a grant to purchase the former Lucchesi Welding building, which has been vacant for 17 years.

Roy’s is now in a 16-seat location at Sharon Avenue.

“Come in any given time, you’ll find people sitting on our windowsills, because there’s nowhere else to sit,” said Kappler, manager at Roy’s Pasties.

A second story will be added to the building, which will seat 60 in all; another 40 will be able to eat outside on the patios. The second floor will be set back 6 feet, giving both floors an open view, Kappler said. Two one-bedroom apartments will also be on the second floor.

In addition to more space for diners, they’ll have more pasties to go through. Roy’s will install rack ovens, which will allow them to bake vertically.

“Instead of baking eight pans at a time and handling them a whole lot, we will go to baking 15 pans and not handling them at all,” Kappler said.

Right now, the shop is usually sold out by 2 p.m. With the expanded capacity and staffing – eight additional jobs – they will probably be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., Kappler said.

Roy’s will also open up online shipping across the United States.

Kappler thanked the city for their cooperation on the project, as well as Superior National Bank, U.P. Engineers & Architects and LJJ Construction, which is handling construction on the building.

“This project would not have gone in any other community than the Keweenaw,” she said. “My banker became a good friend. I don’t know if that happens in other cities.”

Kappler sad they hope to begin mobilizing on site and begin the initial teardown March 25.

The building’s masonry is in great shape, and much of the existing building will be reused, LJJ owner Jonathan Julien said.

“It really isn’t a lot of it we’re going to tear down,” said LJJ owner Jonathan Julien. “We’re trying to reuse what we can.”