The revolving door of restaurants at the city-owned Riverbend Golf Complex is about to take another spin.

The Kent City Council approved a lease March 18 with Corey Mason to open the Riverbend Bar and Grill, which will be the fifth restaurant at the location, 2019 W. Meeker St., since 2010. The building has been empty since Half Lion Public House closed in October 2023.

Mason will open his fourth restaurant. He operates DaVine Whiskey and Wine in Maple Valley, Dino’s Pub in Renton and Fall City Bar & Grill in Fall City, which is just northwest of Snoqualmie.

“I’m really excited about it,” Kent City Councilmember Bill Boyce said at the March 18 Committee of the Whole meeting. “I do know the owner. I go to DaVine at least twice a week. They serve good food and have top-notch people. The employees love their leaders. This is a big win for us. We might have finally got it right.”

Half Lion, which opened in 2019, was the fourth restaurant to close at the Riverbend location since 2010. Half Lion eventually turned a profit but ran into financial problems with its Half Lion Brewing Company in Sumner, which also closed.

Scotch and Vine closed in 2017 after less than a year in business. Mick Kelly’s Irish Pub closed in 2015 after a five-year run. Fire Creek Grill lasted nine years before it went out of business in 2010. All three of those restaurants owed the city money after closing.

The Riverbend Bar and Grill plans a soft opening in April and a grand opening in May, city Parks Director Julie Parascondola told the council.

Mason worked as a sales representative for Columbia Distributing, which distributes beer, wine and spirits, from 2012 to 2017, according to linkedin.com. He opened DaVine Whiskey & Wine in 2017, Dino’s Pub in 2022 Fall City Bar & Grill in 2024. He is a graduate of Western Washington University in Bellingham and Highline College in Des Moines.

City staff chose Mason after they issued a request for proposals in July 2024 to secure a new restaurant concessionaire for the Riverbend Golf Complex. Proposals were due at the of August 2024. A total of five viable proposals were received for consideration, according to city documents.

A selection panel comprised of the city chief administrative officer, parks director, Riverbend golf manager, and a representative from the Riverbend Men’s Club reviewed the proposals and conducted interviews with the top two candidates.

Before taking access, Mason fulfilled all city requirements, including submitting a $10,000 security deposit and providing proof of required insurance coverage, according to city documents.

The city and Mason agreed to a 10-year lease for the first term, with two options to extend the lease another five years. Mason must pay the utilities.

The lease, which includes several discounts, begins April 1.

“We are landlords and partners,” Parascondola said about the need for lease reductions to help the restaurant succeed.

There will be no rent the initial month to help the business get going. Then the first three months will be discounted for an annual savings of 29%. The second year of the lease will include seven discounted months for an annual savings of 22%. The third year will include three discounted months for a 4% annual discount. In year four, full rent must be paid.

“It’s to help with cash flow in the slow months,” Parascondola said.

Rent is scheduled to increase an estimated 2% to 4% per year, based on the consumer price index.

The city’s lease revenue will be $44,460 the first year (for eight months), $74,000 the second year, $90,000 the third year and over $100,000 by the fifth year.

Parascondola said the city made $36,000 per year under the prior lease with Half Lion.

No major upgrades are planned for the restaurant but improvements could occur down the road, Parascondola said. The main goal for the city and Mason is to get the restaurant open when more golfers start to play in the spring.

“I’m super excited for this,” Councilmember Toni Troutner said.