Restaurant ownership isn’t for the weak.
Trying to stay afloat in a saturated market by battling high food costs and tight margins can drive even the best of restaurateurs to their knees. Surviving the recent rash of restaurant closures in the Grand Rapids area has got to be on the minds of even our own Lowell community restaurant owners, and one of them is taking steps to remain relevant and appetizing during these tumultuous times.
Lowell will soon see a change in the downtown restaurant Main Street BBQ. The change will bring a new menu and concept, but with the same employees and emphasis on feeding the community good food and great experiences.
On March 22, the restaurant will close and then reopen a few days later as Main Street Deli & Tavern on March 26. Owner Erin Van Epps says this move is necessary to stay in business.
“In order for me to stay relevant, I have to lower food costs; I have to lower labor; my electric bill is extremely high,” she says. “I have a smoker with a rotisserie that runs 24 hours. I’ve got to lower costs.”
Though this isn’t a change she ever anticipated, it is something she felt needed to be done in order to stay open.
“It’s not that I really wanted to. It’s that I have to,” Van Epps says. “The market is saturated here. There’s entirely too many restaurants on this street. When I opened in 2015, there were maybe three or four places you could eat and get a cocktail at the same time. There have been too many liquor licenses issued, there are too many restaurants, and the pie is only so big,” she adds.
Main Street D&T, as it will be known, will focus on hot and cold sandwiches, including typical cold cut grinders, flat top sandwiches, and the New Orleans classic Muffuletta sandwich. They will also serve protein bowls, salads, and pizza made with pinsa bread, which is a sourdough fermented crust. The popular desserts will remain on the menu as will the full bar with an updated wine list. They will also introduce curbside service.
Van Epps says these items are more affordable and less labor-intensive than BBQ which requires wood and more expensive meats. The Main Street smoker will remain in the restaurant and will be used for catering and BBQ specials for the restaurant.
Van Epps notes that although the menu needs to change, the atmosphere of the restaurant will remain the same.
“A town this size doesn’t need three barbecues, and I know a lot of people are really sad and upset. There are a ton of memories here,” she says. “That’s the thing. It’s still going to be the same vibe. People are still going to call it Main Street. I’m just changing the last three letters. But the food is going to be more affordable, easier for me to produce, which means less labor. But it’s all going to be fresh and incredible.”
The new menu will offer more of a variety for diners, and Van Epps is hoping that this versatility, plus lower prices, will appeal to the community.
“What I’ve learned in this industry (is) you can’t take what you love and force it on a community,” she says. “That community, it’s their money. They’re going to spend it how they want to spend it. You need to give them what the community wants and what they’re willing to spend money on. That’s how you stay in business.”
Hoping that the changeover will go smoothly, the restaurant will be closed for a deep clean, reorganization, signage change, and of course, new menus. Little to no remodeling is anticipated.
While the BBQ may be leaving, the switch to Main Street D&T will help ensure the good times continue to roll on.
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