[ad_1]
GRAND RAPIDS – A husband and wife duo is moving their culinary and personal chef business into a building formerly occupied by a neighborhood restaurant. Cherry Deli and cooking in the East Hills neighborhood of Grand Rapids.
Jason and Kate McClearen, owners Everyday chef and wife, at 834 Cherry St. SE bought the building from Cherry Deli owner Scott Schultz on July 15 for $640,000, according to property records. The Schulz family decided to close the restaurant in September 2021.
“We were lucky enough to meet the former owner of Cherry Deli,” said Jason McLaren. “He was emotional about passing the torch and excited that in some ways we have the same mission that they had.”
Founded 10 years ago, The Everyday Chef and Wife includes a food truck in addition to a personal chef and catering service. The McClearens plan to open the former Cherry Deli building in phases, starting with renovating the kitchen so it can be used for food preparation. They also plan to open some takeaways this holiday season ahead of a retail store that should be fully open by spring 2023.
Kate McClaren said: “In the grab-and-go food area, there are cafes, treats and the like, as well as fueling our already established businesses and growing our existing businesses. .
The space provided an opportunity to renovate an existing kitchen, which is difficult to find in Grand Rapids, as well as a well-circulated area, said Kate McClearen.
“We want to be in the public eye of Grand Rapids as much as possible so we can build a community with the business,” Kate McClaren said. “It’s a great place and we loved Cherry Dell when he was here.”
The Daily Chef and wife have been working out of various shared kitchens and mobile kitchens for the past five years, Jason McClaren said. Moving to their own brick-and-mortar kitchen is an important next step, the couple said.
“Our main goal is to find food that is handmade, local and organic,” he said. If we can’t make it from scratch ourselves, we say we’ll partner with other people in the city.
During the pandemic, the couple’s business model shifted to private chef services and catering for small, catered events, Kate McLaren said. The number of private events hosted each year for the business could double, she added.
“We’re bursting at the seams right now,” Kate said. “Now it’s a great opportunity for us to expand our business and do more catering and private events. We loved working with the food truck, so we’re excited to get back to being with the people.”
Never miss MiBiz’s biggest stories and breaking news. Sign up to have our report sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning.
[ad_2]
Source link