By Kathryn Reed

Paperwork is expected to be signed today to change the ownership, name and look of Chase’s Restaurant at Lake Tahoe Airport.

The matter is before the South Lake Tahoe City Council, which meets starting at 9am at the airport.

Sam Sonki Ahn has been operating the eatery for about five years. He has reached an agreement with Diane and Tom Miller for them to buy the restaurant. The city and the Millers have reached an agreement for a five-year lease.

The Millers, who Monday declined to be interviewed, plan to rename the restaurant Flight Deck. Views from the bar, as it is laid out today, look out to the runway and tarmac.

If everything is signed today, the lease would take affect April 1, with improvements set to be completed so the first plate of food could be served on or before July 1. What all will be changed is not known.

The Millers are not new to the restaurant industry. They operated Steamers from 1996-2002.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner will be served seven days a week. The deal says the establishment must be open 10 hours a day. The idea is the Millers will market the facility to city workers, locals, tourists and service clubs for the latter to have their regular lunches there instead of at the Stateline casinos.

The proposed menu uses cutesy names like Runway Chicken and Tarmac Turkey for sandwiches. Lunch fare is pretty standard — burgers, sandwiches, soups and salads. Ribs, steak, chicken and fish of the day are listed on the dinner menu.

One thing the city wants out of the deal is to make more money. Ahn had been paying $552/month in rent, plus 5 percent of gross sales. According to city documents, gross sales have ranged from $1,500 to $3,000 month.

The Millers will pay $600/month, 5 percent of gross sales up to $15,000 per month, and topping out at 7 percent for sales of more than $30,000 month, plus a percentage of the entire building’s utilities.