Summit restaurant to reopen in Sun City Summerlin

Monday, March 9, 2009 | 1:26 p.m.

Comfort food is coming to The Summit restaurant in Sun City Summerlin.

It's been more than four years since the association-owned restaurant has been open, said Ken Caroccia, community association board member. Once lease negotiations are complete and approved by the full board, restaurant operators Lenny and Donna Tempelman could open The Summit by Sept. 1.

"We looked at two possible tenants and they (the Tempelmans) were the ones who in this economy will be able to stay open," said Caroccia, chairman of the restaurant ad-hoc committee.

This will be Sun City Summerlin's first restaurant lease. The 55-plus community of 14,000 residents also operates the Highlander Lodge Cafe and the Vista Grille.

The Summit, 2215 Thomas Ryan Blvd., was closed because it was losing too much money as a community-run restaurant, Caroccia said. When a tenant is in place, residents will have another restaurant four days out of the week and the association will have rent money coming in.

The Tempelmans, who run Chef's Pantry catering, said they will have a full-time staff of about six to 10 people, with an on-call catering staff of about 25.

The Summit, which seats 136 with an outdoor patio, will serve an affordable traditional American menu from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday to Thursday. It will be open Friday through Sunday for catered events only.

The couple said the catered events, such as weddings and birthday celebrations, will be their main revenue generator.

Lenny Tempelman said he and his wife started Chef's Pantry after retiring to Las Vegas in 2005. They also owned a part-time catering business in Miami.

"We've been catering in Sun City Summerlin for four years," he said. "We love working up there. We love the clients, and we're very much looking forward to opening a restaurant."

The couple also plans to enhance the golfers' snack bar menu, which they will also take over from the association.

Donna Tempelman said The Summit will have another option for fine diners during the week. It will be open for reserved parties of 10 to 20 people with a set upscale menu and a special celebration cake.

"We feel that we have a good rapport with the Sun City residents," she said. "We listen to what they have to say and what they want."

Becky Bosshart can be reached at 990-7748 or [email protected].