Displaying items tagged: foodagri
Demand surges for Michigan’s Christmas tree industry
If patronage of local Christmas tree lots and farms is any indication, then Michigan residents are really in the holiday spirit this year.
Railtown Brewing Co. eyes expansion with new cafe
DUTTON — Opening a business in arguably the hardest hit industry of the COVID-19 pandemic era doesn’t seem like a promising concept on paper, but Justin Buiter and his team at Railtown Brewing Co. are leveraging special circumstances to do exactly that.
Founders temporarily lays of 89 workers, citing state restrictions on indoor dining
GRAND RAPIDS — Founders Brewing Co. has temporarily laid off 89 employees as the bar, restaurant, entertainment and hospitality industries cope with recent health guidelines handed down by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
Factorial Holdings acquires 26 Burger King restaurants in GR area, plans to build 10 more
GRAND RAPIDS — Chicago-based Factorial Holdings plans to construct 10 new Burger King restaurants in Grand Rapids over the next five years.
Black Calder Brewing Co. brings new flavors, representation to craft beer scene
GRAND RAPIDS — Black Calder Brewing Co. is launching its first beer on Nov. 27, or “The Blackest Friday,” as the new brewery’s owners are calling it.
Facing widespread can shortages, West Michigan breweries weigh packaging options
Heading into 2021, Brewery Vivant has worked with its distributor to get three different six-pack placements into Meijer Inc. stores on a statewide basis.
FROM OUR ADVERTISERS
Restaurant, hospitality groups sue state over latest COVID-19 orders
The Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association and two hospitality businesses filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday against the head of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services in response to new business restrictions to stem the spread of COVID-19.
GVSU partners with New City Neighbors for agricultural program
GRAND RAPIDS — Grand Valley State University’s Sustainable Agriculture Project (SAP) has partnered with the nonprofit New City Neighbors to expand the Grand Rapids organization’s educational farm.
Two Grand Rapids dispensaries approved for recreational cannabis sales
GRAND RAPIDS — Two medical marijuana provisioning centers in Grand Rapids will soon be adding recreational sales.
New SpartanNash CEO outlines operational improvements, acquisition strategy in first earnings call
BYRON CENTER — In his first quarterly earnings call with SpartanNash Co., newly appointed CEO Tony Sarsam began to outline his vision for the food distribution and grocery retail company.
Resilient and agile: Restaurant industry tackles a potentially long-term transformation as consumer behavior and buying patterns shift
Restaurant owners have had to get creative and at times take extreme cost-cutting measures to keep their doors open this year, indicating the COVID-19 pandemic’s long-term effects for the industry.
SpartanNash adapts to shifting consumer behavior
The COVID-19 pandemic has led many households to bear down in their homes over the last eight months, leading to an uptick in grocery store sales. In fact, many grocery stores struggled to keep shelves stocked with the panicked buying that took place in the pandemic’s early stages. Grand Rapids-based SpartanNash Co. — the fifth largest food distributor in the U.S. — was on the front lines of those efforts with its 155 corporate-owned retail stores and distribution business that delivers to 2,100 independent locations across the country. It’s also a leading distributor of grocery products to U.S. military commissaries.
FROM OUR ADVERTISERS
Farmers navigate shifting supply and demand equation
Jeff VanderWerff is one of the rare professionals whose day-to-day operations have remained virtually unchanged throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Restaurant owners ready to comply with latest order, but question effectiveness
Restaurant owners are seeking clarification from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services on last week’s revised emergency order requiring bars and restaurants to gather names and contact information from patrons.
Grand Rapids tiki bar owned by HopCat founder files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
GRAND RAPIDS — The operators of Max’s South Seas Hideaway — a downtown Grand Rapids tiki bar owned by former BarFly Ventures LLC President Mark Sellers III — have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
DeVos-backed spirits brand Jos. A. Magnus & Co. relocates from D.C. to West Michigan
HOLLAND TOWNSHIP — An award-winning spirits brand backed by the DeVos family is relocating to West Michigan from Washington, D.C.
BarFly assets sold to previous investors for $17.5M in bankruptcy auction
GRAND RAPIDS — BarFly Ventures LLC — the parent company of HopCat, Stella’s Lounge and Grand Rapids Brewing Co. — has sold its assets as part of a Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization.
Old Mission wineries allege local ordinances unconstitutionally prohibit speech, commerce
PENINSULA TOWNSHIP — A group of Northern Michigan wineries and a trade group representing them have filed a federal lawsuit against Peninsula Township alleging that their businesses are losing hundreds of thousands of dollars per year because of the municipality’s allegedly unconstitutional ordinances.
Silver Lake Chicken Shack expanding with second location, new name in Grandville
GRANDVILLE — An Oceana County restaurant that has made a name for itself over the last decade for its rotisserie chicken wings is expanding with a second location in Grandville.
Federal grant to support launch of West Michigan food research center, incubator
A West Michigan food processing research center and incubator is among beneficiaries of federal grant funding to bolster small businesses in West and Southwest Michigan.
EEOC alleges hostile work environment, retaliation at Vande Bunte Eggs
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has filed a lawsuit alleging that a local egg producer created a hostile work environment for a former female employee and then retaliated against her when she filed a complaint about her treatment.
Vander Mill closing Spring Lake location to focus on Grand Rapids facility
SPRING LAKE — Vander Mill LLC is closing its original Spring Lake facility to focus on its Grand Rapids hard cider production facility and restaurant in what co-founder Paul Vander Heide calls the latest in ongoing changes for the business.
Ag 4.0: West Michigan farmers turn to evolving technology to bolster efficiency
ALTO — A key aspect of Industry 4.0 technology is finding a way to automate processes that are repetitive, dull, dirty or even dangerous.
West Michigan Food Processing Association helps companies tackle COVID-19 challenges
Under the guidance of Executive Director Marty Gerencer, the West Michigan Food Processing Association incorporated as a 501(c)(6) in February with a multi-pronged approach to support the food industry across a five-county region.
Meritage reports Q3, year-to-date sales growth
GRAND RAPIDS — Despite the uncertainty that has accompanied 2020, Grand Rapids-based franchise operator Meritage Hospitality Group Inc. reported an increase in sales for both the third quarter and the nine months that ended Sept. 27.
Ann Arbor cannabis company continues West Michigan expansion with new GR dispensary
GRAND RAPIDS — Ann Arbor-based C3 Industries LLC is opening a cannabis dispensary in southeast Grand Rapids on Monday.
Agriculture relief grants come at ‘critical time’ for farms, food processors
Dozens of Michigan farms and food processors have been awarded $15 million in COVID-19 relief grants to create safer work conditions for employees and protect the food industry as a whole, state officials announced Wednesday.
Hamburger Mary’s drag-themed burger bar opening near Grand Rapids
CASCADE TOWNSHIP — Hamburger Mary’s is set to open its first Michigan location later this month near Grand Rapids, bringing with it the karaoke, drag shows and drag queen bingo the restaurant franchise is known for.
Norton Shores coffee producer to expand reach with Molson Coors distribution deal
Products that leave the La Colombe Coffee Roasters production facility in Muskegon will now reach farther across the U.S. after a recent distribution deal.
To weather COVID, GR restaurant owners launch pizza concept that may stay long-term
GRAND RAPIDS — The owners of That Early Bird Cafe and Little Bird restaurants — like countless other businesses — have taken stock of what works well during the pandemic, both to weather the short-term disruption as well as set themselves up for long-term success.