A round-up of the biggest openings, closings, and other changes for local businesses over the past year.
OPENED:
Noodlepig is finally open next door to SpeakEZ, at 601 Bond Ave. NW, Grand Rapids. People are already raving about this ramen eatery, with unique noodles made in-house, quality ingredients, traditional flavors and fun fusion twists.
The owners of Max’s South Seas Hideaway opened a new spot in Kalamazoo, JungleBird. Sitting on the main street at 155 W. Michigan Ave., Kalamazoo, this tropical restaurant is less tiki than Max’s, and is instead largely inspired by South America, Cuba and Miami.
The B.O.B. is back! That big ol’ building at 20 Monroe Ave. NW, Grand Rapids has returned, without many changes. Dr. Grins, HOME, Bob’s Brewery, Bobarino’s, the beer garden, it’s all there except for the Eve nightclub, now used primarily as an event venue.
Farewell to Danzon Cubano, and welcome to Cantina Los Amigos in its stead, at 1 Carlton Ave. SE, Grand Rapids. Head here for authentic handmade Mexican food. Try their popular queso fundido, grilled elote, wet burritos, and molcajetes.
Brooklyn Bodega arrived downtown Grand Rapids at 10 Jefferson Ave., in the space that once held Cult Pizza. They offer “a taste of Brooklyn” with features like egg and cheese bagels, deli sandwiches and build-your-own salads, the perfect lunch spot for anyone near downtown.
The people behind Principle brought a new concept to Kalamazoo: ROCA, at 247 S. Kalamazoo Mall. “Based on the foundational elements of locally sourced ingredients, classic scratch cooking, a unique dining environment and exemplary service, ROCA presents an exciting and unforgettable fusion of flavors inspired by Latin American culture and cuisine.”
K-ROK Korean BBQ & Karaoke is now open in every way, offering a full menu, self-cooked Korean BBQ, and private karaoke rooms. The restaurant from the owners of Emonae opened at 169 Louis Campau Promenade in downtown Grand Rapids, across from Z’s. Call ahead to reserve a private room and eat, drink and sing the night away.
Brick and Brine opened doors in Kalamazoo’s Radisson Plaza Hotel at 100 W. Michigan Ave. This large restaurant with multiple spaces offers “savory New American fare, indulgent desserts, and masterfully crafted cocktails.” Steak, seafood, house-made pasta and more create an extensive menu at this gourmet eatery.
In other Radisson news, Curry Kitchen GR moved away from 28th Street, now located in a clean and modern space (with alcohol!) in Radisson Hotel Grand Rapids Riverfront. Order their delicious Indian food for delivery or stop in to the new space at 270 Ann St. NW, immediately off the highway exit.
The owners of beloved GR home/gift shop Rebel have a new venture: Sticky Fingers. Now open at 1503 Lake Dr. SE, Grand Rapids, the shop brings together the colorful, yet old-timey feel of a classic soda shop with modern candy, toys, stickers and other treats. It’s the kind of store people of all ages can find something to love.
Periwinkle Fog opened doors in Grand Rapids at 125 Ottawa Ave. NW, Suite 160, Grand Rapids. This women-owned gift and gallery boutique offers globally inspired and locally discovered goods such as art, fashion, accessories, children’s toys and books, home décor, local artisan jewelry, pottery, and more.
Monsoon Vietnamese Cuisine says that they are combining Vietnamese classics with midwestern hospitality! While they are serving up charcoal-cooked traditions out of 55 Monroe Center, the sleek interior design combines with the fresh local ingredients to deliver a unique dining experience to Grand Rapids.
Where a car wash once stood at 755 Michigan St., a lively taco restaurant now brings Latin American and Hispanic food traditions to Grand Rapids. Taco Borracho features an indoor-outdoor bar and seating, where taco connoisseurs can pick from the culture-rich menu and wash it all down with a margarita tower to share.
Real Seafood Company made its home at 141 Lyon St. NW. Immediately inside the door, you’ll see a massive mural by a Saginaw artist, and a few steps further brings you to fresh seafood sourced from the Great Lakes, New England and the Gulf of Mexico, express-delivered to the restaurant.
As a complement to the local Long Road Distillery, Less Traveled is showcasing all the Long Road spirits, bitters, vermouth and everything else in a carefully crafted and extensive cocktail menu. Keeping it local, the food menu is sourced from a variety of Michigan growers and suppliers, and has a little something for everyone, The intimate space at 959 Cherry St. has indoor-outdoor room for about 80 people.
Le Macaron will crush any cravings for French desserts. The newest location of this national patisserie whips up gelato, cakes, pastries and, of course, the titular macarons out of their kitchen downtown Grand Rapids at 132 Monroe Center St.
A new boutique has hit 40 Monroe Center St., providing inclusive sizing in women’s and men’s clothing, gifts, jewelry and home goods from various local vendors. The rotating inventory at Courage and Soar ensures that you’ll never step into the same store twice. They also host various workshops, such as learning how to make the cloud-shaped light fixtures that fill the ceiling of the store, providing everything but the bulb!
Social Misfits (pictured above) opened on the ground floor of the new Residence Inn by Marriott, at 43 W. Fulton St., Grand Rapids. This eatery welcomes all — the weirder, the better. The menu focuses on the kinds of waffles you’ve never had before, like the Yasuke, with ramen, soft-cooked egg, scallion, furikake and gojuchang aioli. They also have sweet options, “normal” food, and top-notch coffee/cocktail drinks.
Inspired by one guy’s love of homebrewing, Brewery Outré provides unique and creative house-brewed beers to the Kalamazoo community in a cozy taproom at 567 E. Ransom St. Head here for beer-wine hybrids and tasty saisons.
As part of the new wave of restaurants hitting downtown Rockford, Kawa Sushi brings a sleek interior with high-quality ingredients to 8 E. Bridge St. The soft opening in late spring was met with warm welcome and rave reviews, boding good things for Kawa’s future in Rockford.
There aren’t many fast-food fixes in Grand Rapids for gluten-free eaters — or rather, there weren’t. Now, Papa Chops whips up a completely gluten-free menu out of their drive-through and counter service space at 2222 28th St., from burgers to pizzas and beyond.
Brand new to Grand Rapids in August, Küsterer Brauhaus is inspired by traditional European beer halls, focusing on long community tables and talks with strangers. Serving traditional German-style beers (as well as craft beers, cider, sangria and cocktails) out of their location at 642 Bridge St., the brewery pays tribute in name to the first German brewer to put down roots in Grand Rapids in 1844.
After the success of vintage and antique store Elevated, the owner decided to open a location devoted to gently used vintage luxury clothing and accessories. 955 by Elevated GR houses local vendors and quality vintage items out of their renovated space at 955 Godfrey Ave.
National franchise of choose-your-own-adventure tacos has set up at 37 Ottowa Ave., their third Michigan location. Practice your best standardized-test bubbling as you choose your protein, shell, add-ons, salsas and more at Barrio, while sipping on craft margaritas and cocktails.
Crafted Copper creates innovative new cocktails and puts unique spins on classic ones out of their indoor-outdoor space at 4520 Stadium Dr. in Kalamazoo. Their resident mixologist creates funky flavor combinations while the kitchen whips up delectable shareables and desserts.
Tacon Madre is serving up fresh, made-to-order tacos through their drive through window at 3501 S. Division Ave, along with refreshing agua frescas, chips and dips. Indoor counter service allows patrons to enjoy the bright, contemporary atmosphere complete with nods to Mexican pop culture.
Michigan’s first and only gluten-free brewery is dedicated to producing completely safe brews. Brewery Nyx opened their taproom at 506 Oakland Ave. in July, allowing patrons to enjoy all the tastes of their many craft beers in the safety of an uncontaminated environment.
A new casual taco restaurant in Holland is serving up craft margaritas, specialty cocktails, tacos and brunch out of their brand new space at 2155 Ottawa Beach Rd., using local food and homemade tortillas. Playa Tacos is the latest venture for the family-owned River and Odi Hospitality Group, who also run Matchbox Diner & Drinks, Mermaid Bar & Grill and others.
A reprise of the first beloved location, a new Uncle Cheetah’s Soup Shop and Bakery has moved into 850 Forest Hill Ave., serving all the favorites from the Grand Rapids location, and adding their first full bakery. Completely house-made breads will stack the sandwiches, dip in the soups, and crunch up the salads!
5 Lakes Brew Pub moved from a quite remote location in Dorr to a new hotspot in Tanger Outlets, now located at 350 84th St. SW, Byron Center. Unfortunately, the bowling alley attached to 5 Lakes was forced to close by the pandemic, which was a big part of the decision to move. 5 Lakes also switched to a brew pub, allowing them to have outside beers on tap.
Stan’s Tacos opened a third location at 67 Ottawa Ave. SW, Grand Rapids, taking the place of Wheelhouse, which shuttered when the pandemic hit. This small local chain began as Stan Diego in Standale, before changing names to be more versatile. The new location is serving creative tacos, margaritas and snacks exclusively as a take-out spot until staffing improves.
Another new taco joint is Tacos El Cuñado, which just opened another location at 3140 Plainfield Ave. NE, Grand Rapids. So far, we know that everywhere with that name has delicious, authentic tacos on the cheap, and we’re here for more of that.
Café de Miro is an excellent Kurdish-style Mediterranean restaurant in Breton Village, and has now expanded to the Downtown Market at 435 Ionia Ave. SW, Grand Rapids. The eatery offers gyros, salads, falafel, baba ghanoush, and much more flavorful food. For those missing the likes of Marie Catrib’s, this is your new lunch spot.
Need some java? How about a massage to go with it? Head to Lotus Brew Coffee at Communitea Wellness, near the Creston neighborhood at 781 College Ave. NE, Grand Rapids. This wellness center features three highly trained massage therapists and a reiki practitioner, along with a full café out front, featuring coffee, tea up, a dry bar, banned books and more from Lotus Brew. Feel free to stop in for just a drink — no massage needed!
The Darling Style is a new boutique open downtown Grand Rapids at 307 S. Division Avenue. This shop has been gathering followers with its unique, curated, feminine, classy style for years now, so a storefront only made sense. Head on in for just about every dress you could ever hope for.
CLOSED:
Royals
701 Wealthy St. SE, Grand Rapids
Brick Road Pizza
1017 Wealth St. SE, Grand Rapids
Osteria Rossa
16 Monroe Center St., Grand Rapids
Ramona’s Table
17 Squires St., Rockford
Eastown Antiques
1515 Lake Dr. SE, Grand Rapids
Adobe In & Out
Leonard location
Ambiance GR
106 Pearl St. NW, Grand Rapids
Wikiwiki Poke Shop
1146 Wealthy St. SE, Grand Rapids
ELK Brewing
700 Wealthy St. SE, Grand Rapids
Osgood Brewing
4051 Chicago Dr. SW, Grandville
Harmony Hall
401 Stocking Ave. NW, Grand Rapids
