GRAND RAPIDS, MI --After staying afloat through Michigan’s stay-at-home order to slow the spread of COVID-19, MudPenny reopened in June for dine-in service with safety precautions in place.
The restaurant, located at 570 Grandville Ave. SW, offers new American cuisine featuring locally-sourced healthy ingredients.
The menu features vegan, vegetarian and keto-friendly dishes to suit a variety of dietary needs to make it easier for health-conscious diners, according to General Manager Megan McAllister.
“We keep a close eye on what’s happening on food trends in order to make it easier for people to go out to eat ...” said McAllister.
While COVID-19 closures has negatively impacted many local restaurants, the cafe-brunch spot has expanded business during the crisis.
Matthew Fuller, owner of MudPenny, said they opened their new location on May 7 in Ada, 496 Ada Dr SE. The grand opening was rescheduled from March due to the pandemic.
The new location has a modern feel and features work by local artists. There is also ample outdoor seating, ideal for the current restrictions in place.
Restaurants in Grand Rapids and beyond are gradually ramping up dine-in service since June 8, when Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s temporary ban, first instituted on March 16, was lifted.
Restaurants are navigating new guidelines such as reducing capacity to 50 percent and ensuring there’s six feet of distance between tables.
Both their Ada and Grand Rapids locations currently offer online ordering for curbside pick-up and takeout. According to McAllister, these new options have helped bring in revenue that was lost during the closure.
“We have a super talented staff, so utilizing their skills more and their creativity to ... drive more sales is really important,” McAllister said.
Before Fuller opened the Grand Rapids location in December 2019, he envisioned a coffee shop and restaurant hybrid.
“We’re just trying to bring a little bit of a fancier version of brunch to the city,‘' said Fuller, about focusing on local, healthy ingredients.
The restaurant roasts its own coffee using a zero-emissions electric roaster. As of June, the eatery has expanded into retail, with their coffee being sold at Bridge Street Market, a neighborhood grocery store opened by Meijer.
Moving forward, the MudPenny team will focus more on expanding retail into other grocery stores, including their bakery items, Fuller said. In addition, he hopes to open more locations in West Michigan.
While the MudPenny team has quickly adapted to the “new normal,” business hasn’t always been booming.
After Governor Gretche Whitmer issued her dine-in closure executive order, Fuller was forced to shut down their downtown Grand Rapids location. At that time, he said the restaurant laid off their entire staff.
Fuller has since re-hired some of the old staff as well as hired an additional 15 workers for the Ada location. He and McAllister credit their resiliency to their staff’s ability to adapt to new ideas and changes.
Since re-opening their Grand Rapids location mid-May and now allowing dine-in, the restaurant has several new measures in place including extensive cleaning.
MudPenny bathrooms are now equipped with SaniShield, a disinfectant for porcelain surfaces.
Employees are screened before and during each shift and sanitize high-touch surfaces every 15 minutes. Screenings and sanitizing are enforced daily by shift leaders.
Both locations continue to offer online ordering for takeout and curbside pick-up for customers who are not yet comfortable dining in. For those who are, masks are required to be worn when walking through the restaurant. Social distancing is also enforced.
Customers are encouraged to use the QR codes, shorthand for Quick Response codes, at each table to access the virtual menu. Sanitized physical menus are available upon request.
Learn more about what MudPenny has to offer at mudpenny.com.
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