After nearly six months or waiting, St. Clair Shores residents have a new place to dine on the Nautical Mile.

Ram's Horn opened its doors to the public Thursday morning and the reception from patrons, local dignitaries and management has been nothing short of wonderful.

“When you walk in the door it feels so nice,” Shores Mayor Robert Hison said. “We’ve been waiting months now, but now it’s here and to see this and to have it open now is just wonderful.”

Shores resident Abigail Rutledge agreed with the mayor.

“It’s beautiful,” Rutledge, 67, said. “It’s just got such a warm and welcoming feel to it. I don’t know how you couldn’t be impressed by it.”

Dozens of patrons streamed into the new eatery as a kind and courteous waitstaff greeted each with a smile.

Thursday’s grand opening was the culmination of month’s of planning and renovation, according to owner Larry Remington.

“It took us six months of planning,” Remington said. “My architect and myself, we spent months on design, color, lighting, the tile, the ceilings, everything. We wanted people to walk in and get a nice warm feeling.”

The new Ram’s Horn now resides at the location that once housed Big Boy—on the corner of 9 Mile and Jefferson. This spot is a crucial one along the city’s Nautical Mile.

“This is what it’s all about,” Hison said. “People were waiting for this to open. This Ram’s Horn has stepped up the Nautical Mile, and people, once they go inside and see it, will really appreciate it. And we really appreciate them being here. Obviously, 9 Mile and Jefferson it is one of the key places on Nautical Mile.”

The location was extremely appealing to Remington, and seemed the perfect fit for his restaurant.

“There was so much that made this location appealing,” Remington said. “The building, the size of the building, the location. A building this makes it easy to work with, you can go in and create what you want. We were really excited about what we could do with this building.”

The finished product drew rave reviews Thursday morning from patrons who were glad to see the establishment move into the community.

“We need a place like this,” Thomas Gilked, 44, said while sipping his coffee. “It’s the kind of place you can come and read your paper, have a coffee, and get a good meal. I’m really happy they’re here and I’m pretty sure I’ll be here enough that everyone will know my name when I walk in. There aren’t many places like that around anymore.”

The support of the community is essential to the success of any business, and Remington says the support and encouragement he’s gotten from St. Clair Shores has been remarkable,

“The city was just seemed so happy we were here,” Remington said. “Their support has been tremendous. Week by week by week they’ve just been tremendous. We’re very happy to be here.”