Meijer received site plan and special land use approval June 9 for a new gas station and convenience store on the former site of Gateway Mission’s The Spoon. So, what happens to the relatively new building now?
Business representatives told officials a purchase agreement has been secured for the property at 633 E. 24th St. The site plan calls for demolishing the existing building and constructing 12 fueling stations covered by a large canopy, in addition to a 3,650-square-foot retail store.
The project is less than a mile away from an existing Meijer Express on 16th Street, which will remain open.
The Spoon, constructed after the demolition of a former Denny’s, was a social enterprise restaurant focused on vocational training. The eatery, which offered dine-in and takeout breakfast and lunch service (plus a cafe), opened in 2023 and closed in March 2025. Until now, it was unclear whether the nonprofit would attempt to reopen the restaurant or make use of the building in another way.
“COVID reshaped the restaurant industry in ways that made it increasingly difficult for a mission-driven training restaurant to operate effectively,” Gateway Executive Director Jay Riemersma previously wrote in a statement to The Sentinel.
Riemersma said the program trained six students, all of whom are now employed. He didn’t comment on how much The Spoon cost to construct, but admitted it would be hard seeing the building torn down.
“It’s certainly not easy to close a chapter like that, especially knowing the building represented a meaningful season of ministry for us,” he wrote. “The Spoon was a tool to serve people, and our focus remains on the lives that were impacted and the mission moving forward.”
Riemersma said the organization will work to repurpose or donate equipment and materials from the building, should demolition proceed.
“(It’s) our desire that nothing ends up in the landfill,” he said. “We intend to repurpose, reuse or resell everything the same way we do at our nationally recognized thrift store.”
— Contact reporter Austin Metz at ametz@hollandsentinel.com.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: With gas station approved, what happens to Gateway’s The Spoon?
Reporting by Austin Metz, Holland Sentinel / The Holland Sentinel
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By Austin Metz, Holland Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
