Construction is expected to begin in April on a new Sterling’s that will replace the George Washington Way restaurant. The new restaurant will be built at the east end of the current parking lot to take advantage of the view of the park and river.

The trees that bordered the parking lot have already been removed to prepare for construction, said Saber Sterling, the daughter of Sterling’s Famous Steak & Salad Bar founder Jim Sterling.

Saber Sterling said the new restaurant will be about the same size as the current one, which is about 6,000 sq. ft. inside and it will feature a large outdoor patio overlooking the river.

The current restaurant will remain open during construction of the new one, with overflow parking available in the adjacent parking lot of the former Chinese buffet restaurant.

Saber Sterling said they hope to have the new restaurant open in August.

The current restaurant was built in 1973 as a Sambo’s restaurant. Jim Sterling managed that property, then it became Banana’s, a franchise that was owned by Sterling and some partners.

Sterling got out of the partnership but bought the property and started Sterling’s Famous Steak & Salad Bar in 1982.

“I had a background in Sambo’s and Sizzler, and I always wanted to marry the concepts,” Jim Sterling said in a 2011 interview.

Jim Sterling will be the general contractor on the project. Sterling was also the general contractor on his Queensgate restaurant, which opened in 2012.

Sterling also renovated a former Sizzler’s location on Clearwater Avenue in 2008 to create the Kennewick Sterling’s.

Sterling’s restaurants are known for the huge menu and they specialize in homemade food. The menu features a vast array of omelets and breakfast items, an abundant salad bar that features homemade soups daily, plus steaks, seafood and plenty of other comfort foods.