Not since Borders has a retailer founded in Ann Arbor expanded as widely as Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea, now with thirty-seven locations in a dozen states. The latest, in Pierpont Commons on U-M’s North Campus, is a homecoming of sorts for founders Wei and Lisa Bee, who are both U-M alumni, as are their three sons.
Read MoreNearly forty years ago, new life was fashioned from a former lumberyard office on Depot St. Brainchild of prominent local developer Bill Martin, the cozy, quaint Casey’s Tavern became a classic townie hangout, known for its burgers and other comfortable pub grub.
Sweet Hop Swedish Candy, in the former Ginger Deli on E. Liberty, specializes in what’s become a global phenomenon fueled by social media. Randy Thompson says the wide range of fruity, sour, and salty confections imported from Sweden is more than just a commodity.
Avalon Bakery & Café reverts to Pretzel Bell, A2 is down a Qdoba, and Zales & INTY.M Gallery at Briarwood close.
Read MoreAt Picture Perfect Selfie Studio, customers can take unlimited photos in twenty-two distinctive booths.
Read MoreLate Plate offers smashburgers, chutney and avocado bowls, chicken and falafel sandwiches, and milkshakes.
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Media personality and provocateur Dave Portnoy, a 1999 U-M grad, called it “the best college campus pizza I’ve ever had” in a 2022 YouTube video with over 448,000 views.
Read MoreOn E. Liberty, just around the corner from her namesake first restaurant, Orijin is itself a play on the name of partner Jin Gorian, hired three years ago as executive pastry chef at the Boro, a component of Dixboro Project.
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Cocktails can seem simple—in a gin and tonic, the name is also the ingredients and the recipe—or exceedingly complex (fat washing, anyone?). But all across Ann Arbor, regardless of what a menu tells you about a drink, there’s a secret ingredient to most of the greats you won’t see listed.
Read MoreAfternoon Delight, Shalimar, Bløm, and more hang For Sale signs.
Read MoreThe core offering at Hummus Republic is a Chipotle-style customizable choice of wraps, pitas, or bowls filled with a base, plus hummus, proteins, vegetables, and dressings. Dip Scoop will have twelve varieties of Hershey’s Ice Cream with toppings, milkshakes, smoothies, and slushies.
Read MoreWolverine Pickleball, the indoor/outdoor playground and lounge for grown-ups, is now serving up some elevated fare. The Den provides a permanent kitchen for both casual dining and catered events.
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A group of local chefs and business owners hope to lure Michelin to Ann Arbor. In April, Michelin announced its first Great Lakes edition, rating restaurants in Detroit, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, and Minneapolis. (It has published a Chicago guide since 2010.) Michelin reviewers have begun visiting restaurants, and the guide is slated for publication in 2027.
Read MoreMom-and-pop paletería La Piña Loca, which opened in 2019 on Platt and Ellsworth and added a kitchen for savory Mexican snacks more than two years ago, is doubling down with a second location.
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Aperitivo, named for the Italian pre-dinner tradition, will feature low-alcohol cocktails, amaro, mostly Italian wines, and charcuterie board offerings with local, seasonal elements. “This is kind of your stop either before you go to dinner or when you’re done with dinner,” she says.
Read MoreRestaurateur Adam Baru purchased the building on the fringe of downtown at W. Liberty and S. First for $1,362,500 to bring back a French-inspired bistro. Le Mec, a colloquialism that translates as “the guy,” is also the name of a burger that was a favorite at Mikette, the Plymouth Rd. predecessor he closed during the Covid-plagued year of 2020.
Read MoreTaxidermied big game and enlarged photos from her grandfather’s rodeo days now hang from the walls of The Ranch Honky Tonk, formerly The Den extension of the connected Grizzly Peak Brewing Company. Every other bar seat is a horse saddle.
Read MoreEinstein Bros. Bagels, part of Panera Brands (itself part of the Luxembourg-based private conglomerate JAB Holding Company), announced in March that the Michigan locations of its sister brand Bruegger’s Bagels will be converted to Einsteins.
Read MoreA savory, salty solution for cash-strapped students with scant culinary skills, those single-serving packages now line a wall of a new South University convenience store, Ramen Run.
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Curious Coffee, after a year’s residency at Bløm Mead + Cider, is ready to level up.
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