Ricardo's Kitchen and Bar in Lacey is turning its former wine room into a speakeasy.

The steakhouse at 676 Woodland Square Loop SE has been closed since July 4 for a major renovation, according to the restaurant's website.

Owners Shane and Jennifer Holland are overhauling the space with a Prohibition-era feel, The Olympian reported Aug. 28.

The changes are extensive. The former wine room will become a speakeasy serving late-night cocktails like Manhattans and Old-Fashioneds. The existing bar will open into a shared community space in the building called The Hub.

A kitchen "theater" will feature a curtain that opens at 5 p.m. so diners can watch the cooking, then closes at 9 p.m.

"The goal is to provide more of an experience by stepping back into time, and feeling something more than just having dinner," Shane Holland told The Olympian.

Ricardo's, established in 2003, has been under the Hollands' ownership since about March 2022. The restaurant plans to reopen with a new executive chef and a more seasonal menu that will still include steak, chicken, fish and pasta.

Holland said he is aiming for a date toward the end of September, though no firm reopening date has been set. The restaurant's website lists the closure through Sept. 20, while Yelp shows a Sept. 22 reopening.

Red Lobster closes after 30 years

Across town, the Red Lobster on Martin Way East in Olympia served its last meal Aug. 23. A sign on the front door thanked guests and said the restaurant was closing after 30 years of serving the Olympia community, The Olympian reported.

The closure had been expected for months. A Chick-fil-A has been proposed for the Martin Way East site, and the project was advancing through Olympia's land-use process as of Feb. 27, according to a prior Olympian report. The new location would be the second Chick-fil-A in Olympia and the third in Thurston County.

No updated timeline for the Chick-fil-A project has been made public.