PORT NECHES — The Pompano Club is getting a makeover and a new name.

“It will not be a private club anymore, it will be open to the public,” owner Catherine Bruney, whose father bought the business four decades ago, said. “We are changing the name to Benton’s, which is an old family name.”

The club, located at 330 Twin City Highway near Saba Lane, saw flood damage from Tropical Storm Harvey. Though about six-inches of rain flooded the building, the owners weren’t able to make their way inside until three days later. Bruney and family thought this would be the right time to make the changes.

The facility will be divided into two sections — Benton’s in the larger main area and Benton’s Up Front for the smaller side room.

Benton’s Up Front is set to open the first or second week of November and patrons can grab lunch there from Monday through Friday.

The floor plan has been changed as well for both sections. With the wait station knocked out, Benton’s Up Front will be able to accommodate 175 people, Beth DeVillier, Bruney’s sister and part business owner, said.

“It will be more casual than before,” DeVillier said, adding the décor will be more for the crowd.

The main section will also see a change. Two small meeting rooms are now one main room and gone are the mirrors that lined parts of the walls.

Bruney explained that there will be two large doors that can be opened for added space. They envision wedding cake tables set up there in the future.

The main area — which is set to open Dec. 1 — will be used for parties, banquets, showers, weddings and other get-togethers.

DeVillier said letters have been set out to all members regarding the changes and they are working on refunding membership fees.

But for now there’s work to be done. The owners elected to keep staff busy instead of lay-offs. A handful of staffers were on hand Wednesday pulling nails and doing light work. Currently there are 225 chairs that will be refurbished.

Even Chef K.J. Bradford, who began working there in June, has divided his time by pulling out carpet and honing the recipes in DeVillier’s kitchen.

“The lunch menu will start small and expand. What I see as our specialties are plates, like friend shrimp and the choice of two sides,” DeVillier said. “Chicken friend steak, chicken and dumplings — it’s hard to find good chicken and dumplings, and quiche and salad.”

Fresh foods and produce will be used in the menu with “food everybody is familiar with” and gone is the buffet lunch except for special occasions.

Red beans and rice — a popular dish in the South — is also on their radar.

“Chef cooked seven pounds of dry beans the other day and it fed the youth group from my church. Everybody was raving,” she said.