There's an old saying, "when one door closes, another one opens," and in the case of two brigades here on Joint Base Lewis-McChord, those words were proven true and eagerly welcomed.

The 17th Fires and 555th Engineer brigades celebrated the grand opening of Cannon and Castle Grill Oct. 25 with a pre-lunch ceremony and special menu.

The new dining facility opened as the result of units moving and deploying. The 17th Fires Bde. DFAC closed its doors Oct. 1 after the unit relocated from Lewis Main to Lewis North. Prior to Cannon and Castle Grill, Soldiers from 555th Engr. Bde. shared a DFAC with 2nd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division.

Colonel Michael Brobeck, 555th Engr. Bde. commander, said the DFAC's opening was important and a sign of moving forward.

"With the upcoming deployment of (2nd Bde., 2nd Inf. Div.) and the subsequent closer of their DFAC and relocation of 17th Fires Bde., we owed it to our Soldiers to offer them a world-class dining facility," Brobeck said. "It was also important to keep our food service team gainfully employed and promote pride in the service of their job."

Soldiers worked tirelessly to ensure successful closure of the two dining facilities and opening the newest one. During opening ceremony remarks, Brobeck thanked everyone who was involved, and gave special recognition to six key Soldiers - one of whom single-handedly ensured all food items were inventoried, accounted for and later transferred over $35,000 worth of food to other dining facilities with zero loss of accountability.

Judging by the line wrapped around the Castle and Cannon Grill's doors and the aesthetically pleasing atmosphere inside, everyone's hard work paid off.

With a main line, short order, expanded sandwich bar, salad bar and rotating self-serve bar, diners have a wider array of food to choose from. The self-serve bar changes daily, and depending on when you go, serves tacos, chicken wings, pasta and other foods.

A separate "Grab and Go" line offers pre-prepared food such as pizza, burgers and corndogs.

"This is really designed for somebody who's in a hurry," said Sgt. Jeremiah Vanblaricom, administrative NCO with 17th Fires Bde.

During breakfast, the line offers grab-and-go sandwiches, burritos, granola bars and other breakfast items. Vanblaricom, who works and eats at the Castle and Cannon Grill, said the biggest difference between the new and old DFACs is size.

"There's five times more storage here, which allows for more food to be stored," he said. "Now we can offer more of a variety."

Castle and Cannon Grill manager, Sgt. 1st Class Jamie Vaughn, said one of the first things guests will notice is the atmosphere. One side of the dining facility has a sports theme while the other is unit décor. There are six TVs broadcasting sports and news, free Wi-Fi and an open invitation to watch football courtesy of the NFL sports package.

"We won't kick anybody out if they want to come relax and watch the game on Sundays," Vaughn said.

Brobeck anticipates the dining facility will have a significant positive impact on Soldiers living and working on Lewis North.

"Soldiers have the option of avoiding the heavy traffic that plagues our installation during the lunch hour," he said. "They can sit down and enjoy a meal without the rush of making it back to work on time. Additionally, I believe more of our Soldiers will take advantage of the healthy meals being offered."

While Cannon and Castle Grill was built primarily for Soldiers in 17th Fires and 555th Engineer Brigades, anyone is welcome to dine there.

"We offer healthy food choices, and the price is right," Brobeck added. It is free for those with meal cards and a great bargain for those that are not."

If you go

The Cannon and Castle Grill is located on 41st Division Drive and 12th Street in Building P12638. Breakfast hours are 7:30 to 9 a.m., Monday through Friday, and 8:30 to 10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. Lunch is served from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 12 to 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Dinner is 4:30 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 4 to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.