February was a busy month for restaurants and retail in the Lansing area.
Half a dozen stores opened their doors, including the area’s first Shake Shack and Bubbakoo’s Burritos. Eaton Rapids gained a new downtown bakery and deli and Babe’s Corner moved, reopening inside Strange Matter Coffee’s downtown location.
The area also lost a handful of businesses, including long-time Charlotte mainstay’s Riedy’s Tavern and Bella Grande, a clothing consignment boutique that specialized in plus sizes.
Here’s a look at what opened and closed locally in February.
Openings
Babe’s Corner, downtown Lansing
Where: 331 S. Washington Square
The details: Babe’s Corner, a local sandwich and ice cream spot that made a name for itself at a storefront along East Michigan Avenue, closed the space in January and relocated in February.
The eatery reopened inside Strange Matter Coffee’s downtown location on Feb. 10.
Learn more about Babe’s Corner on Facebook at “Babe’s Corner Lansing.”
Bubbakoo’s Burritos, Lansing
Where: 3101 E. Saginaw St.
The details: Bubbakoo’s Burritos, a New Jersey-based franchise restaurant chain opened its first Lansing location on Feb. 16.
Founded in 2008 with a restaurant that opened along the New Jersey shore, Bubbakoo’s Burritos is a quick-serve Mexican-style restaurant known for its unique take on burritos, tacos and other items that fuse different flavors.
The Lansing location, in a roughly 1,500-square-foot storefront, is operated by franchise owners Sam Chowdari and Jinal Patel.
The first 100 guests in line during the restaurant’s grand opening in March will receive a free burrito, the company said.
Learn more about Bubbakoo’s Burritos follow the restaurant on Facebook at “Bubbakoo’s Burritos (Lansing, MI)” or visit the website at www.bubbakoos.com .
Checkered Flag Diner, Ovid
Where: 121 S. Main St.
The details: The Checkered Flag Diner opened in Ovid on Feb. 2, offering brunch, lunch and dinner. The menu includes buttermilk pancakes, omelets, soups, salads, burgers, fried chicken, smoked meats and pizza.
Follow the Checkered Flag Diner on Facebook at “Checkered Flag Diner,” or visit the restaurant’s website at www.checkeredflagdiner.com .
Hills Corner Pub, St. Johns
Where: 200 N. Clinton Ave.
The details: Hills Corner Pub opened on Feb. 23 in a historic former bank in the city’s downtown. The space has been home to two other restaurants in the last five years. Owner Justin Hill, 30, worked at both St. Johns Brewing Co. and The Heist Grille when they operated in the building.
The goal, Hill said in mid-February, is to build Hills Corner Pub’s success around the community by being an active part of it.
The restaurant’s bar offers nearly two dozen beers on draft including craft beer options. The menu includes smashburgers, veggie burgers, salads, chicken wings and southwest egg rolls.
Learn more about Hills Corner on Facebook at “Hill’s Corner Pub.”
Shake Shack, Lansing
Where: 3106 E. Saginaw St.
The details: The Lansing area’s first Shake Shack opened inside a storefront at a former Rite Aid near the Frandor Shopping Center on Feb. 18. The New York City-based chain of fast-casual restaurants known for its shakes and burgers made with quarter-pound Angus beef patties occupies 2,600-square-feet.
The chain’s 10th Michigan restaurant will eventually share space in the just over 11,000-square-foot building with six other businesses, including Smoothie King, Wing Stop and retail store Batteries Plus. The property owner, Bloomfield Hills-based Lormax Stern Development Company, is leasing space in the newly subdivided building.
To learn more about the chain visit its website at www.shakeshack.com.
Simply Stacy’s Bakery & Deli, Eaton Rapids
Where: 115 S. Main St.
The details: Simply Stacy’s Bakery & Deli opened in a 1,500-square-foot storefront in the city’s downtown on Feb. 23. Owner Dave Crawford, who lives in Dimondale, considered opening a deli and bakery in the community for a year before the opportunity presented itself.
New York-style bakery and deli offers sandwiches made with Boar’s Head meats and cheeses, soups and a rotating menu of baked goods, including brownies and cakes. It also offers tea and soft drinks and Better Made chips.
Follow the business on Facebook at “Simply Stacy’s Bakery & Deli.”
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Closings
Bella Grande, Charlotte
Where: 227 S. Cochran Ave.
The details: Bella Grande, a downtown clothing consignment boutique specializing in plus sizes, operated downtown for nearly two decades. Owners announced plans to close in January. It’s last day in operation was Feb. 21.
“This decision did not come easily and we are devastated to see this chapter of our life come to an end,” read a post on the store’s Facebook page.
The store owners said they “watched our customers get married, have children, move to new opportunities, start careers and more. We have been blessed to help you find the perfect outfits for both happy and sad occasions in your life as well as the years of laughter, tears, and story telling that happened within these walls.
Blue Owl Coffee Co., Lansing’s Old Town
Where: 1236 Turner St.
The details: Blue Owl Coffee Co. closed its Old Town location on Feb. 6, more than five years after it opened in September of 2019.
“This space has meant so much to us because of you,” company officials wrote in a Facebook post. “From familiar faces to unforgettable moments, being part of the Old Town neighborhood has been a true honor.
“As we focus on building a more sustainable future for Blue Owl by cutting costs as we move into our next chapter, that doesn’t lessen how deeply grateful we are for the support we’ve received through some truly wild times. We truly cherish every memory made together on Turner St.”
Blue Owl has two other locations, at 1149 S. Washington Ave. in Lansing’s REO Town and at 1034 Trowbridge Road in East Lansing.
Riedy’s Tavern, Charlotte
Where: 219 S. Cochran Ave.
The details: Riedy’s Tavern, a longtime downtown restaurant known for its pizza, lasagna and salads, closed its doors permanently in mid February.
The news was announced via the restaurant’s Facebook page in January. Owner Dan Riedy, 71, planned to retire, it said.
“If you grew up in Charlotte, chances are Riedy’s Pizza has been part of your life for as long as you can remember,” the post read. “For over 46 years, Dan Riedy has fed our town – not just with pizza, but with generosity, kindness, and community spirit. Dan has donated pizzas and spaghetti dinners to countless fundraisers, school events, benefits, and gatherings over the decades. If Charlotte needed help, Dan showed up.”
The restaurant, at 219 S. Cochran Ave., was open for decades.
Risen Breakfast & Bakery, Mason
Where: 402 S. Jefferson St.
The details: Full-service breakfast restaurant Risen Breakfast & Bakery closed its doors in early February. It came just a few months after its owners Rachel and Dan Kostecke, Jr. closed LFA Farmers Market, at 103 E. Maple St., after nearly seven years in business.
The restaurant opened its doors in 2023. Owners shared the decision to close in a Facebook post earlier this month.
“Like many small businesses, we have been struggling for quite some time,” it said. “We have faced countless setbacks, including a recent flood, and our operational costs have continued to rise. It is simply no longer sustainable to carry on. With that said, Risen is now officially closed.”
Contact Reporter Rachel Greco at rgreco@lsj.com. Follow her on X @GrecoatLSJ.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Here’s which restaurants, retailers opened, closed in Lansing in February
Reporting by Rachel Greco, Lansing State Journal / Lansing State Journal
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