The Cove Steakhouse and Grille in Russell Springs has now opened its doors for lunch after serving various businesses Friday to share their new lunch menu, according to General Manager Donna Byrd.

The restaurant on W. Steve Wariner Dr. will open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

"We opened Friday to get the staff some practice and to let some of the businesses see what our food is about and get ready for Monday (when the restaurant opened for lunch)," Byrd said.

While Byrd said The Cove had tried lunch menus before it was always the quantity of time it took to prepare a meal that slowed things down. The new menu will allow for faster and more precise service, she said.

"We designed a menu where it is light soups, sandwiches and salads to where the food is out in 10 minutes or less," she said. "Now we feel the fast speed of service and good quality, people can do call-in orders, carry-out orders or they can call us and we can have it ready by the time they get here."

She said people on a tight lunch schedule can be in and out and still get good quality lunch items in a short time period.

"It is a better value menu that will meet their lunch prices," she said. "We want to get them in and out so they can be back to work in 30 minutes."

The Friday trial run saw the restaurant serve more than 100 folks from various businesses throughout the county.

"There were several regular customers that came in and we just served them like we would at any other time," Byrd said.

Byrd, who is originally from Somerset, has been the general manager at The Cove for four years and has been in the restaurant business since she was 16 years old.

"I've been a chef at the Danville Country Club so I've worked in some big places," she said. "I'm knowledgeable with the different styles of restaurants."

This experience will no doubt come in handy as she attempts to grow the restaurant even more in 2011.

"It is very exciting," she said. "By listening to our customers we know they want the speed of service and a better value meal so that is what I've concentrated on."

There will be a full staff during the lunch hours to meet customer's needs. The Cove has anywhere from 30-35 employees in all.

"We don't want to go downhill in service so we will have as much help during the lunch hours as we need," she said. "It has always got to be tip-top shape and get the food out in 10 minutes."

Byrd said she was excited to continue serving the people of Russell County as she said she has grown to love the community and its people.

Aside from lunch, The Cove's dinner hours are Monday through Thursday from 3:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday 3:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The restaurant can be reached at 270-866-9191. For more information on The Cove's new lunch menu, which starts at $4.99, add them on Facebook.