A local restaurant has expanded, and will now offer an indoor dining atmosphere all year round.

Blue Mountain Ski Resort's Slopeside Pub & Grill in Palmerton will hold its grand opening on Monday.The restaurant, located at Blue Mountain's Summit Lodge, initially opened four years ago as a seasonal outdoor facility, according to Karl Knepper, restaurant manager.Since then, Knepper said the restaurant has developed a huge following to the point where it was decided to convert it into a year-round indoor facility.Through Blue Mountain's multimillion dollar lodge expansion, the restaurant has increased its seating capacity to accommodate 500 guests.Included in the restaurant expansion are two indoor grand fireplaces, an indoor bar with televisions, a large outdoor deck, and two new kitchens to the Summit Lodge to fine-tune flavors and prepare fresh entrées and treats for the entire resort."We will have a state-of-the-art kitchen, and state-of-the-art production kitchen, so that everything we do will be made from scratch in-house," Knepper said.It will also feature a new upscale menu, packed with favorites like Drunken Clams, Half Pound Groomer Burger, "The Lawn Mower" Salad, Tuscan Shrimp Carbonara, and seasonal dessert shooters.There will also be a kid friendly menu, as well as a full service bar, complete with signature drinks.In addition to the regular menu, Knepper said a continental breakfast will be served from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday.After ski season, it will develop into a full blown Sunday brunch, he said."The restaurant is a fun place with serious food," he said. "Customers can definitely expect to leave fool and satisfied."At an elevation of 1,285 feet, Knepper said guests can enjoy the panoramic view from Penn's Peak all the way down to the Delaware Water Gap."It's just a wonderful atmosphere," he said. "The hospitality from our staff is top notch, so they're going to feel like family when they are dining here."Knepper stressed that the restaurant in the winter time is not just for skiers.In the future, he said it will offer valet parking for customers to be dropped off at the front door, as well as call-ahead seating for guests.Entertainment is held on Friday and Saturday evenings from 6-9 p.m. and features local acoustic duos and trios, he said.The restaurant will be open daily for lunch and dinner, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday 11-11 Friday and Saturday, and 10-10 Sunday.Guests are encouraged to follow Slopeside Pub & Grill's grand opening at skibluemt.com, as well as Blue Mountain's social media channels.