A longtime Lawrence bar and grill is moving to a bigger, more visible location.

After 14 years, Molly McGee’s is moving from the shopping center at 2429 Iowa into the former Mexi-Kans location at 2412 Iowa.

Tre Overstake, Molly McGee’s assistant general manager, said the business, which closed Tuesday, hoped to open Jan. 12 in the new location.

Increasing the restaurant’s visibility is a major reason for the move, Overstake said. The restaurant’s current location is several hundred feet from Iowa Street while the new location is adjacent to the thoroughfare.

“Being along the street instead of tucked back in a strip mall should help us a lot,” Overstake said. “We didn’t get that much drive-by business because you could see everybody else, but you couldn’t see us.”

Overstake said the restaurant wouldn’t change its basic theme. It will keep its signature Lionel train set, which runs around the restaurant’s bar area, and the menu will be kept largely intact, though some pasta dishes may be added.

The move will allow Molly McGee’s to increase seating capacity by about 25 people and add a room for pool, darts and video games, Overstake said. The new location will allow for an additional seven television sets to cater to the business’ sports fan clientele.

Many of the changes are designed to help the business compete with a growing number of casual dining restaurants in Lawrence, Overstake said. Since Molly McGee’s opened in 1989, south Iowa Street has attracted several similar-styled restaurants, including corporate giants Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar and Chili’s Grill & Bar. Other parts of the city have seen a similar trend.

“When it comes to restaurants, the town is starting to go very corporate,” Overstake said. “They’re tough to compete against. Basically anytime a franchise comes to town, it takes a piece of your business. But we feel like this gives us an opportunity to refresh and become more appealing.”

The restaurant employs about 30 people, and that number is expected to increase by about five at the new location, Overstake said. While the restaurant is closed, many of the current employees are helping with the move, he said.

Molly McGee's owners plan to reopen the restaurant Jan. 12 in the former Mexi-Kans restaurant, 2412 Iowa. Work was under way Tuesday on the inside of the building.

Tre Overstake, left, assistant general manager at Molly McGee's, 2429 Iowa, and Chris Hougland, a cook, load a table at the restaurant. Molly McGee's closed Tuesday and owners expect to reopen the restaurant Jan. 12 in the former building of Mexi-Kans, 2412 Iowa St.