The Big Garlic returns to downtown Stevens Point with all of your garlicky favorites - and more

STEVENS POINT – You can finally get your garlic cheeseburgers again in downtown Stevens Point.

The Big Garlic officially opened its doors at 10:30 a.m. Monday at its new location at 1157 Main St.

The reopening comes six months after The Big Garlic and Galaxy Comics, Games & More closed due to smoke damage from a Sept. 26 fire at their shared building on Clark Street. Both businesses shared the news of the fire and further updates on their Facebook pages. Both also announced plans to reopen in the future, as well.

On Nov. 30, The Big Garlic announced it would open at the new Main Street location after remodeling the space.

Tony and Desiray Rockweit first opened The Big Garlic in the space behind Galaxy Comics in August 2022 with a menu featuring burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches and specialty chips. Tony saw a demand for garlic cheeseburgers in the community, and he decided to fill that need, focusing on his signature garlic butter in his dishes. In a 2022 interview with the Stevens Point Journal, Desiray said it was inevitable that her husband would open a restaurant someday, as he had always dreamed about running his own place.

The first location fell into place as Chris Randazzo, the owner of Galaxy Comics, mentioned to Tony he wanted to bring a restaurant to the back of the store space that used to hold a café. Tony told the Stevens Point Journal in 2022 that he hadn’t planned on opening a restaurant or running an eatery, but the offer was too good to pass up.

What's ahead? More garlic.

Desiray said she and Tony loved the downtown and wanted to stay in the area, so when they saw the new Main Street location, they saw a space where they could see The Big Garlic grow. The former home of Habibi's Gyros and Kabob House, the restaurant has been redesigned, featuring natural lighting and a clean and refreshed atmosphere, Desiray said.

Customers will still find the same menu they have grown to love from The Big Garlic over the last couple of years, with some additions. Desiray said the menu will include a new garlic grilled cheese, a New York-style hot dog and more garlic-centered sandwiches.

The restaurant space will be twice as large as the last location, allowing more guests to enjoy The Big Garlic.

"Our aim is to maintain the same energetic atmosphere while enhancing the dynamics of the space through our hard work and investments," Desiray said. "Every corner of this place has been touched and transformed, making it feel like a brand-new, inviting space that we can proudly call our own."

A strong sense of community

Desiray said over the last few years, it's been incredible to watch The Big Garlic's customers develop a love of the food and create a sense of belonging and community. The interaction The Big Garlic has with customers reinforces Desiray and Tony's belief the restaurant is truly a family-oriented restaurant where children are welcome.

While the restaurant has been closed for the last six months, Desiray said the overwhelming amount of community support has fueled their excitement to reopen. Desiray and Tony are excited to have a space that matches the same energy as the food, and they are excited to introduce their customers to their new home.

Since opening, The Big Garlic has gained popularity and a social media following, including about 4,500 likes and 5,600 followers on its Facebook page. As The Big Garlic shared the news of the fire and updates over the last few months, each post has collected more then 500 reactions, dozens of comments and hundreds of shares. Followers commented on each update, sharing how much they were looking forward to the restaurant's reopening and promising to return whenever it opened its doors.

According to the restaurant's Facebook page, restaurant hours are 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.

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Contact Caitlin at cshuda@gannett.com or follow her on Twitter @CaitlinShuda.

This article originally appeared on Stevens Point Journal: The Big Garlic restaurant reopens after fire in downtown Stevens Point