Amid a changed restaurant industry, a look at eateries the Lansing area lost in 2023
The Lansing area lost more than a dozen restaurants and eateries in 2023.
Some, like bakery Delicious Delights Cakes in the Lansing Mall food court, hadn't been open a full year. Still others, including YaYa's Flame Broiled Chicken near the Frandor Shopping Center and Champps Kitchen + Bar near the Eastwood Towne Center, were a part of the area economy for a decade or more.
Their closures came amid a volatile and changed landscape in the restaurant industry, area owners told the State Journal in August. The cost of labor, overhead and operations are higher, margins that were already small are tighter and the pandemic has, in many ways, forever changed the way people dine out, they said.
More changes are expected within the industry, according to a report released by the National Restaurant Association that looks ahead through 2030. Restaurant owners will need to rely heavily on data and technology to address customer needs quicker, it found, and "carryout, delivery, drive-thru and mobile units" will continue seeing more growth.
Here's a look at 17 eateries that closed their doors throughout Greater Lansing this year.
Atomic Tacos, Okemos
Father-son duo Jeff and Joel McGuire gained a strong following by serving California-inspired tacos and burritos that blended West Coast-style food with Asian inspiration from their food truck Atomic Tacos. It opened in 2021 and was often parked at Horrocks Farm Market's beer garden. The pair opened a brick-and-mortar location inside the Meridian Mall's food court in September 2022.
Both the mall eatery and the food truck closed in June, nearly five months after Joel and Jeff McGuire discussed with the State Journal in February the health emergencies they were dealing with while running the business. Joel was recovering from open heart surgery to remove an upper aortic aneurysm and to address a detaching valve. Jeff had discovered a recurrence of rectal cancer.
Joel has since opened Area 52 Diner, an alien-themed diner at 437 Stewart St. in Owosso.
'House' Biggby, Lansing
There are more than a dozen Biggby Coffee locations in and around Lansing but the franchise at 120 W. Ottawa St. in downtown near the Capitol had been a constant for nearly 23 years before it closed in June. Patrons called it House Biggby in honor of its proximity to the Anderson House Office Building.
"It has been our privilege and joy to provide the Capitol Community with great service, high-quality Biggby beverages, and a gathering place for almost 23 years," wrote its Managing Partner Jeff McAlvey in a letter posted to the shop's door.
He cited a decline in the number of people in downtown Lansing as a reason for the closure and said the store sold less than half the beverages it did before the pandemic hit in March 2020.
"We just can't make the numbers work," he wrote.
Trisha Kosloski, a former House Biggby barista and manager, opened a new coffee house, The Hob Nob, three months later in the 133-year-old building.
Black Cat Bistro, East Lansing
After a decade of serving customers at 115 Albert Ave., Black Cat Bistro closed its doors in September. The eatery opened in the 11,588-square-foot space in 2013.
In September, Arnulfo Rameirez, a partner in E & G Connection, the company that operated the eatery, told the State Journal it planned to open a Mexican restaurant, Los Tres Mex Grill, at the property. The building's facade will be remodeled and the dining room's occupancy will be reduced from 110 to 67.
Blue Owl Coffee Co., East Lansing
Blue Owl Coffee Co. operated its Ann Street location in the city's downtown for five years before closing its doors for good on Nov. 29. The company opened a new 1,700-square-foot location a little more than two miles away, at 1034 Trowbridge Road, this month.
Nick Berry, an owner at Blue Owl, said the downtown location had become "too expensive."
"We had to make some moves to cut some costs," he said.
The new Trowbridge Road space, near Fresh Thyme Market, was previously home to Iorio Gelato.
Champps Kitchen + Bar, Lansing Township
Ownership of Champps Kitchen + Bar near the Eastwood Towne Center notified customers that the restaurant was closed after a 20-year run via a sign posted to the front door in June.
"We regret to inform you that this location has permanently closed," the sign read. "With the difficult last couple of years and uncertain future due, we unfortunately had no other option. We are sad to lose this location and thank the countless staff and guests who have made our restaurant feel like home throughout the years."
Earlier this month Metro Detroit-based sports bar franchise Art & Jakes Sports Bar announced plans to build a new location at the property, located at 2800 Preyde Ave. Its menu includes a variety of familiar "sports bar" items, such as burgers, pizzas and tacos, as well as wraps, salads, kabobs, ribs, fish and chips, steaks, pasta and other offerings.
Charlie's Bar and Grill, Holt
Employees said the July 1 closing of Charlie's Bar and Grill at 1957 Cedar St. was abrupt. Owner Charles Devine told the State Journal it was standard practice in the restaurant industry.
Devine had closed the Westphalia location of the chain in 2021.
"I get employees are upset, but when I had to close Westphalia because of lack of employees, I let them know a few weeks in advance and half of my stuff went missing," Devine said. "They just stopped showing up and half of the stuff comes up missing."
Charlie's Bar and Grill, Potterville
Charlie's Bar and Grill at 116 E. Lansing Road closed its doors after 28 years last month. General Manager Bob Devine, a relative of owner Charles Devine, said food costs have risen dramatically in the last several years, it had become difficult to staff the eatery and dine-in restaurants were struggling to compete with fast-casual options.
"Those types of things are being replaced with the fast-food models," he said.
The property has been sold to Walters-Dimmick Petroleum, Inc., which owns the Johnny’s Market location adjacent to the now-closed restaurant, said Potterville City Treasurer Jodi West.
Crossroads BBQ, Grand Ledge
Crossroads BBQ announced plans to cease offering dine-in service at 508 S. Clinton St. in April through its Facebook page.
"Crossroads Barbecue loves Grand Ledge!" read the Facebook post. "Our family has a passion for the community and we're deeply committed to providing excellent food to its residents. Over the last few months, however, we came to a realization. While we love to serve you all, dine-in is just not the way we're excited about doing it."
The eatery highlighted plans to offer catering and special events. It's unclear if that's still happening. The phone number listed for the business wasn't operational Wednesday and the website for Crossroads BBQ listed on its Facebook page no longer exists.
Delicious Delights Cakes, Delta Township
Jenniffer Reaser's bakery Delicious Delights Cakes in the Lansing Mall food court was open less than a year before it closed in July. The Lansing native established the business from her home two years before opening in Delta Township in August 2022.
The bakery served fresh cake each day, as well as brownies, cookies, muffins, coffee and tea. Reaser also filled special occasion orders. She announced plans to close the mall location via the business's Facebook page, citing "a series of recent events, most of which are beyond our control."
Delicious Delights Cakes has since relocated to Weidman. Eldred and Kameron Carter are expected to open The Carter's, a soul food eatery in the mall space it previously occupied.
Flap Jack Restaurant, DeWitt Township
The Flap Jack Restaurant closed its doors at 12800 S. Old U.S. 27 in late June, 27 years after the popular breakfast spot opened.
"To all of our wonderful customers, this Friday will be the last day that Flapjacks of DeWitt will be open," Amber Stanton wrote in a St. Johns community Facebook group. "We will be closing for good. Thank you for everything, your Flapjacks Family."
Garry and Judy Feehan and Bud and Eleanor Wasson opened the restaurant in 1996. Garry Feehan closed the DeWitt restaurant in April 2008, but the Wassons renovated it and reopened the following October, according to State Journal archives.
Grand Traverse Pie Company, Lansing
When Grand Traverse Pie Company closed its location downtown at 200 S. Washington Square, the company's co-founder cited the dwindling numbers of potential customers as the main reason.
"The reality is the population of downtown Lansing and it breaks my heart," Mike Busley told the State Journal in August. "I was born and raised in Lansing. My grandpa worked at the city hall, my grandma worked at Knapp's downtown in the 60s, and my other grandpa worked at Olds. I have roots there. I understand the challenges that we've all faced and so I wish the outcome was different. I really do."
Busley said foot traffic downtown hadn't returned to pre-pandemic levels. The location was open for more than 13 years.
Nola Bistro, Delta Township
Ann Nguyen's Nola Bistro carved a place for itself among the Lansing area's eateries by offering a menu that featured both Vietnamese and Cajun flavors. The North Waverly Road restaurant served both pho and po' boy sandwiches. It closed in April after nine years of operation.
"For sure, a piece of me is gone," Nguyen said after announcing the closure. "I worked really, really hard to build it because it was just a blank space when we got there and a lot of work was put into it. When you put that much work into something, it's hard to let go."
The decision was attributed to the high cost of everything from rent to ingredients and the difficulty in keeping a full staff, she said.
In July, Noosh Afghan Cuisine opened in the 2,000-square-foot space at 603 N. Waverly Road.
PappaRoti, East Lansing
PappaRoti, a cafe that served baked goods, coffee and other eats at 1000 Trowbridge Road closed its doors in May, said Manager Mohamed Elnagar.
The eatery opened in October 2021 offering, among other things, a signature coffee bun baked with a slice of salted butter at the center of the dough that made the finished treat soft and fluffy. The company has locations in several countries, but Elnagar said the East Lansing location struggled.
"The rent was very high and the income was really, really low to cover the costs," he said. "That was the reason it closed."
Tannin, Lansing
Tannin, an Italian eatery on East Michigan Avenue known for its hand-made pastas, closed after a decade in business in early August.
Chris Roelofs first opened the restaurant in a plaza off Marsh Road in Okemos in 2013. It relocated to a building at 1620 E. Michigan Ave. in 2019.
The closure was announced via the business's Facebook page. "Hopefully you can come dine with (sic) for a last time before then," it said.
The building now houses El Catrín Taco Shop, which opened this month.
The Grid, Lansing's Old Town
The Grid, a bar and retro arcade in Lansing's Old Town, opened at 226 E. César E. Chávez Ave. in April 2017, offering adults a nostalgic experience with more than two dozen classic video games, including Donkey Kong, Tetris and Frogger, as well as pinball machines and craft beer and cocktails.
It closed after more than six years in October. Owners Corey Montie and Callie Mykut Schons gave customers several weeks to say goodbye, announcing the decision via the business Facebook page in September.
"After nearly seven remarkable years filled with so many wonderful 'hellos' and some really difficult 'goodbyes,' this being one of the most, it is time for us to flip the power switch one last time," read the post.
Sweet Custom Jewelry owners Bob and Alissa Sweet have since bought the 1929, two-story brick and limestone building at the property. They plan to move their business into the space.
YaYa's Flame Broiled Chicken, Lansing
Fans of YaYa's Flame Broiled Chicken near the Frandor Shopping Center learned the long-time area staple was closing via an undated sign hanging on the eatery's entrance at 3011 E. Saginaw St. in June.
"Closed," it read. "It has been my honor to serve the people of Lansing and all my loyal customers. I will always be thankful, sincerely Ken & YaYa's crew!"
At one time, there were two locations of the Flint-based company in the Lansing area. The second was near the Lansing Mall.
Zeus' Coney Island, Lansing
Zeus’ Coney Island closed its doors in mid-April after nearly a decade at 6525 S. Pennsylvania Ave.
A drive-thru-focused Bob's Big Boy is expected to take its place. The incoming Lansing location also will feature dine-in options. The menu will include a waffle breakfast sandwich, a meat lover’s burrito and burgers.
Contact Rachel Greco at rgreco@lsj.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, @GrecoatLSJ .
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This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: A look at more than a dozen restaurants the Lansing area lost in 2023
