Airport Tavern reopens as The ATS with new menu, new owner, same staff

Marcus Powers renamed the former Airport Tavern and Steakhouse to The ATS of Lansing for two reasons.

The first is that the new name, “an homage to the past while moving to the future,” preserves the legacy of the century-old building by abbreviating its former name while marking the beginning of a new era.

But the name is also a reference to the Cadillac ATS, a luxury car that represents what Powers wants to turn the steakhouse into: “The Cadillac of restaurants.”

That was the goal that Powers, a classically trained chef who moved to Lansing last year after a 24-year career in Las Vegas, had in mind as he crafted The ATS’ new menu. That menu debuted Tuesday (March 10) as the restaurant celebrated its grand reopening. It had been operating with the former menu since Jan. 30, a decision manager Nick Kidd said was made in respect of the staff, who all stayed on amid the transition.

The menu still includes staples from the former menu, Powers said, but with more steak options, elevated items like a root-beer-glazed pork chop and more salads and appetizers, such as a wedge salad and truffle chips.

Powers said his determination to revitalize the restaurant comes from speaking with locals, who remember the building’s past fondly.

“When you hear people talk about this place 20, 30, even 50 years ago, there’s a huge memory that a lot of people have,” he said. “But after you hit a certain age range, it kind of cuts off. So, I want to reach out to a whole other group, along with keeping the old, saying, ‘Hey, I want to bridge that gap. I want everybody to have a memory of The ATS or Airport Tavern.”

Powers described the new menu as a “remix” of the former menu and other items he’d worked with before, bringing his personality and experience to the table while letting the classics speak for themselves. He also brought in new glassware and table linen, because he thinks his customers “are worth that type of service.”

For Powers, who moved to Lansing to raise his twin daughters in the more tight-knit, “family-oriented” environment that his wife, a Haslett native, grew up in, taking charge of The ATS is a great way to introduce himself to the community.

“I think having something that had such a legacy made it a little bit easier for me to come, in terms of having the torch passed to me,” he said.

Pete Sinadinos, who sold the restaurant to Powers, has been immensely supportive, Powers said.

“For me, it was a little tough, thinking, ‘Oh man, these are big shoes to fill,’” Powers said. “But Pete, being the pillar of the community that he is, graciously introduced me to all his regulars and supported the changeover in a very positive way. I mean, he could have just sold the building and retired. But he comes in weekly. He makes sure his friends come in. He even calls it The ATS.”

As he looks forward, Powers hopes to integrate, more specials focused on seasonally available food, incorporate weekend brunch and add prime rib on Sundays. He has more ideas, he said, but he plans to earn the trust of the community and make gradual changes rather than a dramatic overhaul.

“There’s a lot of ideas in this noggin that I’d like to show Lansing and see how they respond,”  he said. “And the best way to do that for people is to get trusted. That’s why I didn’t come here and just say, ‘Oh, this flashy Las Vegas restaurant.’ No, I’ve got to get the trust of the guests that we’re doing something quality.”