Billings Lawn Equipment Celebrates 60 Years with Move to Clawson

Billings Lawn Equipment Celebrates 60 Years with Move to Clawson

by | Jan 2, 2019 | Billings Lawn Equipment, Clawson, LBN Community Series

Billings Lawn Equipment Celebrates 60 Years with Move to Clawson
02
JANUARY 2019
BY REBECCA CALAPPI
LBN Community Series
Clawson
It used to be that if you were looking for monkey chow and elephant food, Billings Feed Store was the place to go.

“My grandfather bought the business in 1959 when it was Billings Feed Store,” said current owner Scott Johnson. “We used to supply the zoo with all their feed years ago.”

SCOTT JOHNSON (center, in gray)

OWNER, BILLINGS LAWN EQUIPMENT
Billings Feed Store has been around since the 1930s. Johnson’s grandfather, Henry, worked for Les Billings, the owner.

“My grandfather worked for him [Les Billings] as a young guy. He was a truck driver,” said Johnson. “He ended up buying it from Les Billings and he ended up keeping the family name.”

Johnson recalls being in the store as a kid, making tunnels in the feedbags, ripping open feed bags and playing with the cats in the store.

“We had mynah birds and we sold parakeets when my grandfather owned it. We still have people who come in who remember the cats and the birds,” said Johnson. “We had to get rid of the mynah birds because the customers taught them bad words.”

The Billings store has a long history in Royal Oak at Main and Lincoln, and Johnson plans to continue in the new location on 14 Mile Road in Clawson, which opened in November.

Initially, Billings had two stores near each other: one was lawn equipment the other was a feed store. The feed store was sold, leaving the lawn store for Johnson to run.

“My dad, Rick, got cancer in 2015, and we knew the real estate we had was worth some money, so we were going to sell it and let him retire. Unfortunately, he passed away in May 2018,” said Johnson.

Today, the newly re-opened Billings Lawn Equipment has all the trimmers, mowers, snow blowers and weed whippers homeowners and business owners need to keep yards looking their best.

“We sell everything the big box stores do, but we sell it for the same price. We have free delivery and we service them and have a full line of parts. If you’re looking for gear, they’ve got it from A to Z here.”
“We sell everything you need for residential landscaping and working. We carry pretty much the same stuff we’ve always carried over the years— Stihl, Redmax, Echo, Shindaiwa and we still carry all the residential stuff like Toro, everything from line trimmers to lawn mowers,” said Johnson. “We sell everything the big box stores do, but we sell it for the same price. We have free delivery and we service them and have a full line of parts.”

Travis Beard, co-owner of Worry Free Outdoor Services, has been a loyal Billings customer since opening his business in 1998.

“We went into their open house they have every year, we met Scott and Rick and they walked us through the process. We’ve been loyal to them ever since,” said Beard. “That’s who I call when I need something. We call them for service to our mowers, parts, new mowers, my partner just goes up there to hang out. It’s a destination place. People come from all over. Once you go in there once, you keep coming back.”

With 11 employees, Billings Lawn Equipment has the experience and knowledge customers want when looking to make an investment in machinery. At one time, almost everyone working at Billings was family.

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“We have a lot of long-term employees. People leave, but they always come back. Everyone’s been here on average 15 to 20 years,” said Johnson. “That is one advantage of coming to a place like this is the knowledge. You don’t get that when you go to Home Depot. We try to get things done efficiently and cost effective as possible.”

Johnson explained that while the Billings team can sell lawnmowers and snow blowers, they also have a full parts department with roughly $500,000 in inventory and service area. In fact, Johnson is one of the mechanics.

They fit snowplows to trucks, tune up a motor and find the right belt for the equipment. The staff in the showroom are knowledgeable and friendly, making it a comfortable experience for all.

“The coolest thing is it’s a third generation, family-owned business,” said Johnson. “That doesn’t happen very often.”

 

1241 W 14 Mile Rd
Clawson, MI 48017
248.541.0138

billingslawn.com

 

 

 

 

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Project Manager Turns Lay-off into Sweet Career

Project Manager Turns Lay-off into Sweet Career

by | Nov 28, 2018 | Clawson, Doc Sweets, LBN Community Series

Project Manager Turns Lay-off into Sweet Career

29

NOVEMBER 2018
BY REBECCA CALAPPI

LBN Community Series
Clawson

With more than 4,000 square feet of sweet treats, Doc Sweets’ Candy Company LLC is a delight.

David Sklena, 51, of Shelby Township, opened the shop 10 years ago.

“I worked in project management for a number of years and wanted to open my own store. Candy really fit in to what I really liked,” said Sklena. “I was working in project management for Program Planning Professionals, setting up different lines, organization and budgets. I wanted control of my life back.”

DAVID SKLENA

OWNER, DOC SWEETS CANDY COMPANY

It turns out that getting laid off in 2007 was just what he needed to start his second career as a candy man.

He spent a full year researching industries and candy was the perfect fit.

“Candy isn’t recession resistant,” he said. “We opened Nov. 10, 2008. Right in the middle of the recession. But all the people telling me this is not going to work motivated me.”

He chose the name using his initials: DS. He landed on “Doc,” and the rest just came together. A by-product is his new nickname, Doc.

“I didn’t plan on it being called that, but it’s OK,” he said.

Sklena said 10 years have flown by, and since opening in Clawson, the store has expanded and racked up a wall full of awards and recognition ranging from HOUR Detroit to Local 4 News.

Doc Sweets’ is laid out categorically. Sour candy such as Toxic Waste and Sour Patch Kids. All 72 flavors of Jelly Belly Jelly Beans are cozied up together and on the opposite wall, M&Ms in every color line the walls. The variety of candy in between in mind boggling: candy cigarettes (now called candy sticks), candy buttons, chocolates, gummies, seasonal goodies and more.

“Customer requests drive stock. We try carrying everything,” said Sklena. “When we first started I never guessed we’d have 4,000 square feet of candy. If they make it, we want to carry it.”

The store also stocks a variety of novelty candy as well.

“I’ve probably tried 95 percent of the things in the store. Even the bugs. They’re pretty popular with kids. Adults like the crickets to mess with people—crickets melt in your mouth. They’re actually good for you: low in fat, high in protein,” said Sklena. “But black licorice candy with salt is one of the only candies I’ve ever spit out.”

As a sponsor of the Michigan Pez Convention, Doc Sweets’ Candy Company also carries the latest Pez dispenser designs.

“We have a lot of Pez collectors who call us when the new ones come out. It’s a huge market. I thought wholesale was going to be our big thing, but no, it’s been retail,” said Sklena.

Even if you’re in the market for a little something more, Doc Sweets’ can help. The store has more than 600 bulk items available, so weddings and special events are easily manageable.

“We do a lot of parties, weddings, birthday parties,” said Sklena. “People have a party and candy bars are hugely popular. It’s been really popular over the past five to six years. People really seem to enjoy it. And a lot of them want to do it in their wedding colors or if they have a theme, so if you need aqua blue candy, we have options. If you need 25 cent boxes of candy, 1,000 pounds of candy, this is going to be the only place you can come to do that.”

“It’s the place to go to for that one candy you have to have…It’s so easy to pop in for one thing, but it’s not easy to leave with just one thing.”

Marie Fleischer, 64, of Clawson, stops in Docs Sweets’ around once a month.

For Fleischer, her relationship with candy began 10 years ago when she decided to quit smoking. There was a candy store near the bakery where she worked, so she’d stop in and buy strawberry licorice pinwheels. In the beginning, she figures she’d spend $60 per week on licorice.

Now that she’s retired, and the nicotine addiction has subsided, she finds herself in Docs when she’s out running errands.

“It’s the place to go to for that one candy you have to have,” Fleischer said. “It’s so easy to pop in for one thing, but it’s not easy to leave with just one thing.”

She counts on the team at Doc Sweets’ for their expertise. Recently, she was in the shop asking about a particular mint. She wanted to know which one melted in your mouth faster.

“A clerk at CVS wouldn’t know that,” she said.

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Sklena is proud of the team he’s put together at the store, and one day, hopes to share the experience with his 2-year-old son, Romeo.

“One thing I’m really looking forward to is that he can come to work with me and really building this up as a family business,” he said. “But even after 10 years, I’m still buying bags of candy to take home. It’s still a treat to me as well.”

135 N Rochester Road
Clawson, MI 48017
248.597.1051
docsweets.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Clawson’s Three Cats Cafe and The Show: Dine, Shop, Repeat, Drink!

Clawson’s Three Cats Cafe and The Show: Dine, Shop, Repeat, Drink!

by | Nov 13, 2018 | Clawson, LBN Community Series, Three Cats Cafe

Clawson’s Three Cats Cafe and The Show:
Dine, Shop, Repeat, Drink!

14

NOVEMBER 2018

BY PATTY LANOUE STEARNS

LBN Community Series
Clawson

If you’re old enough to remember downtown Detroit’s beloved J.L. Hudson’s store, it was a magical oasis, especially around the holidays. You’d walk inside, dazzled by the displays, shop for gifts until your feet hurt, then head up the escalator to the cafe in the mezzanine for a quick repast of soup, salad, maybe a hotdog or a pastry. Then you’d get back to shopping.

MARY LIZ CURTIN

CO-OWNER
THREE CATS CAFE, THE SHOW AND LEON & LULU

It’s the same kind of scene and vibe at Three Cats Cafe and The Show in Clawson. Housed in what was the old Clawson Theater, the two-year-old coffee house/cafe/gift shop is the latest addition to the 15,000-square-foot Leon & Lulu campus (formerly the Ambassador Roller Rink) next door, which sells everything from gag toys to high-end clothing and home furnishings. Both buildings were built in 1941 and went through extensive reconstruction. The new space adds 8,500 square feet.

Through brilliant marketing, merchandising, hard work and heaps of hilarity, owners Mary Liz Curtin and her husband Stephen Scannell have created a department-store mecca that feeds all senses, attracts a huge following and has reaped many business awards.

“Our entire emphasis is on customer enjoyment,” says Curtin.

Before you walk through Three Cats’ front door on Main St., beneath the restored Clawson Theater marquee, a mechanical lady in the ticket window calls out to welcome you. Inside, there’s a gleaming Art Deco bistro with a black-and-white motif, an ever-changing menu of delicious pastries, soups and salads created by Chef Yvonne Belletini, and friendly folks behind the counter to make sure the coffee’s always fresh.

Barista Jay Gomez (photo, next to the menu blackboard) says the top-selling coffee is Cafe Meow, with honey, cinnamon and milk. Three Cats also features a full bar, great for apres-shopping socializing, and a screen that plays old black-and-white movies continuously. You can rent the space for events, and you can even rent the marquee and add someone’s name for a totally cool celebration.

Ray Opezzo from Royal Oak is a Three Cats regular. “I love the coffee here,” he says, noting that he just finished a delicious chicken salad-filled croissant with potato salad on the side. He also recommends the steel-cut oatmeal with berries for breakfast.

“It has atmosphere — it’s just different than other stores — you walk out with a smile on your face…”

Sharon Martin, who lives in Clawson, comes to Three Cats every day, and has even claimed her own table inside The Show, where you have your choice of seating, either on the former movie theater stage or on the lower floor, which she prefers, along with her daily cappuccino.

“Mary Liz moves the merchandise around here all the time, so it’s always a different experience,” Matin says, adding: “I love the warmth of the people who work here.” Last year Martin threw her 65th birthday party here (“I invited both my ex-husbands,” she laughs) and Three Cats did the catering. Food is served on an elegant collection of vintage china plates like Grandma used to do.

“It has atmosphere — it’s just different than other stores — you walk out with a smile on your face,” says Marilyn Tomala of Royal Oak. She bought the pants she’s wearing at Leon & Lulu’s next door and is now in The Show looking for Christmas gifts. “Everyone’s shopping here,” she says, motioning to the crowd of customers around her as she flips through a table of shiny ornaments and necklaces with light-up bulbs.

Many gifts you’ll find at The Show, directly behind the cafe and with an entrance off the side parking lot on Main, are Michigan-centric, with mitten-shaped cutting boards, puzzles, tea and dishtowels and anything else you can think of that would look good emblazoned with the shape of our state. Other finds are Detroit’s famous Pewabic tiles and vases and old Detroit prints and signs, plus unique furniture and custom framing.

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Curtin has also stocked the aisles with a mondo collection of irreverent greeting cards that beg you to read their messages and laugh and share the hilarious sentiments with other shoppers. And then buy them for the laughs, which is just one reason why customers like Tomala, Martin and Opezzo always leave with smiles on their faces.

Three Cats Cafe and The Show
Lunch served 11-3 daily
116 West 14 Mile Road
Clawson 48017
248-288-4858
threecatscafe.com
leonandlulu.com

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Mid-Century Modern, Present-Day Cool

Mid-Century Modern, Present-Day Cool

by | Oct 24, 2018 | Clawson, LBN Community Series, ModMart

Mid-Century Modern, Present-Day Cool

25

OCTOBER 2018
BY REBECCA CALAPPI

LBN Community Series
Clawson

The market for mid-century modern designs is on fire and Modmart Detroit is the epicenter for all things Bertoia, Eames and Wegner.

Catering to a devout following of mid-century modernism, Modmart Detroit offers carefully presented furniture, home décor and even furniture refinishing.

BRIAN LAUNDROCHE, LOREN WEINER & DAN LAUNDROCHE

CO-OWNERS OF MODMART DETROIT

“We also take a lot of pride in knowing we’re rescuing furniture that is going extinct and bringing it back to life,” said co-owner Loren Weiner. “People do want to display them in their nice houses because it’s the pieces they want. There’s also an aspect that these pieces are so highly collectible. They want people to look at their furniture and say, ‘Oh yeah that’s original.’”

The Clawson store wasn’t always devoted to mid-century modern. Decades ago, it was a machine shop, which was converted into a furniture refinishing business by brothers Brian and Dan Laundroche.

The brothers worked in the building for 15 years, adding an antique storefront. However, it attracted more garage sale-type business, instead of clientele who want to make major home purchases.

That’s when the Laundroches met Weiner.

Wiener is an artist and interior designer. She would bring pieces to the Laundroches to refinish for her clients.

“It used to be Affordable Solution resale shop, but the main business was always the finishing,” said Brian Laundroche. “Loren suggested we go to mid-century modern and here we are. It just happened to work out the two go hand in hand. We’ve progressed a lot.”

Now, the three are co-owners of ModMart Detroit.

The store is arranged in small vignettes, much how furniture would be in a home. Couches and chairs are matched with end tables, lamps, chairs and chandeliers. Vases, candlesticks, bar ware and area rugs complete the look for shoppers, making it easy to imagine each piece in their home.

“When customers are leaving the store happy, that’s a good feeling,” said Brian Laundroche.

Sidney Rausch is a nurse from Royal Oak. She wandered into ModMart Detroit looking for a couch.

“I just love the style of this place, I love all the items they have for sale. I haven’t found a place like it that sells this style of furniture. Especially if you have your heart set on something, I feel like you’d find it here,” Rausch said. “It’s a call back to a different era and we’re still honoring it. So much has changed, but these have a very classy, elegant look to them.”

From tulip tables and square-backed couches to vintage bar sets and tangerine-colored everything, mid-century modern design runs in the Laundroche family. The brothers are relatives of Harry Bertoia, who’s signature wire chairs are familiar to just about anyone who remembers the 60s and 70s, even if the name doesn’t ring a bell.

“We’ve just always been hands on. We were the kids painting bikes hanging in the garage,” said Brian Laundroche, whose mother is Bertoia’s niece. “I’ve been finishing my whole life. We were painting something or doing something since we were 10 years old.”

Modmart Detroit offers consignment, furniture sales, refinishing and even design consultation. “We’re very passionate about rescuing the furniture. It’s very important for people to know they can consign furniture. It’s good for them to give us a call. There could be hidden treasures out there,” said Brian Laundroche. “On the other hand, there’s a lot of people into this mid-century modern, where they think their item is worth more than it really is worth.”

Weiner continued, “A lot of times people don’t realize their stuff has value. Rather than just donating it, you could sell it and donate the money.”

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According to Weiner, many people come in looking for work by Danish designers. “Our store mainly focuses on the 50s and 60s and our clients are looking specifically for Danish Modern,” she said. “I learn about a new designer all the time, then I obsess. I’m really lucky where this is my passion and hobby. I’m a purist.”

Weiner and Laundroche also encourage people to take pictures of their treasures and email them to modmartdetroit@gmail.com to find out if there’s any interest. However, the shop only considers items that are specifically from the mid-century era and it has to be modern design.

 

In the refinishing area, the brothers refinish wood and metal items and even create their own lighting fixtures, which can be custom made to order.

“When you’re refinishing a piece, you have to honor the design of it, otherwise it loses its value,” said Brian Laundroche. “I have to match the application and color and in some cases, it can be tricky.”

Mostly, the Modmart Detroit team aims to make customers happy. Customers on the hunt for a certain piece can work with Weiner to have it sourced, and families cleaning out grandma’s attic can call and one of the Modmart owners will go to the house and determine anything of value.

“When customers are leaving the store happy, that’s a good feeling,” said Brian Laundroche.

932 West 14 Mile
Clawson, Michigan 48017
(248) 757-4663
modmartdetroit.com

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Maple Lane Florist in Clawson: Serving Customers for Five Generations

Maple Lane Florist in Clawson: Serving Customers for Five Generations

by | Oct 10, 2018 | Clawson, LBN Community Series, Maple Lane Florist

Maple Lane Florist
in Clawson:
Serving Customers for
Five Generations
10
OCTOBER 2018
BY HONEY MURRAY
LBN Community Series
Clawson
Anna Frost, from Clawson, was sending flowers to a funeral home. Her oldest friend’s mother had passed away at the age of 96 after a brief illness.
“I was sad for my friend, of course, but I wanted a flower arrangement that wasn’t ‘funeral-ish,’” Anna says. “I called Maple Lane Florist on Crooks Road in Clawson and was helped by a man that I believe was the owner’s son.”

“He was sympathetic and kind, and he assured me that he had the flowers available to make just the kind of uplifting and very pretty arrangement I was thinking of – with lots of fresh, white, feminine blossoms — in my price range, and able to be delivered later that day.”

NATALIE WATKINS

OWNER OF MAPLE LANE FLORIST IN CLAWSON
“When I arrived at the funeral home,” Anna recalls, “the family members came running up to me and said, ‘We knew those flowers were from you as soon as they arrived! They are so lovely!’”

Owner Natalie Watkins, who started working in her family’s shop over 50 years ago at the age of nine, says, “We actually listen to everyone and try to get exactly what they want…And usually, we get it just right!”

She adds, “After all, we’ve been in business so long that we have a deep understanding of flowers – and people.”

Though Maple Lane Florist was officially opened in 1948 by Natalie’s grandparents, John and Grace Ann Schultz, the Schultzes actually began the business out of the Troy home they moved to from Highland Park in 1936.

“I had a customer come in,” shares Natalie, “who wanted flowers for a 75th anniversary. She said that my grandparents had done the wedding flowers out of their house all those years ago!”

 

Her grandparents built onto the house with greenhouses and a flower shop. They also had a roadside stand for selling “mums, tomatoes – anything they could grow.”

“And now,” Natalie beams, “there is a fifth generation of family here.”

“Growing up, my mom would bring home work for the five of us kids to do: making bows, assembling corsages…All five of my kids (and most of their spouses) have also been brought up in the business.”

“Our customers love and trust us,” Natalie smiles. “They’ve been with us for years, and many actually worked with us when they were teens!”.”
“My granddaughter Natalie, who is twelve, is one of my best employees! She loves to wait on customers and make mixed bouquets. Since she’s been four years old, she’s counted out the cash drawer every time she works, making sure we have enough singles and change.”

Grandchildren Jordan, Alyssa, Luca, Meadow, and Violet also often work on weekends and in the summer, cleaning flowers and watering plants.

“It’s so great for all the kids to work here. They learn how to count and work with cash, they enjoy people, and they are excited and happy to make money – though they are required to save half of what they earn in their bank accounts.”

Natalie recounts ways in which the business has changed over time.

“In the past, Mother’s Day and Easter were the biggest holidays. But, over the years, grocery stores – and even hardware store chains – began mass-selling of flowers and plants.”

“My grandfather was appalled,” Natalie says. “But the good part is, it’s kept flowers at the forefront. A bad part is, customers are not always getting quality and properly cared-for flowers that way.”

“Like food, our flowers are a perishable commodity and are always kept in perfect temperature and conditions. If a customer says they don’t want roses because they only last a couple of days, I’m so happy to tell them that ours will last at least a week and sometimes ten days with just a little at-home care.”

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“And,” she continues, “if you have a small floral arrangement and leave it in the fridge or in a cool room while you’re at work and take it back out when you get home, you can enjoy it for many extra days!”

Maple Lane Florist is increasingly delivering weekly arrangements, as well as other floral gifts, to corporate customers and other businesses.

“When they receive their standing order for their lobby or front desk, the office workers say, ‘Yay!! Our flowers are here!’” Natalie says. “It’s like they are getting their own gift.”

“They love it,” adds driver and clerk Leigh Liotta. “We bring back the old flowers, and they love the new ones. Everyone loves receiving flowers!”

General manager Blake Bergeson, Natalie’s son-in-law, also enjoys arranging holiday decorating of all types and occasions for homes and businesses.

“Especially the weekend of Thanksgiving,” he says, “we are putting up lights and decorations that homeowners and businesses either own or have us purchase for them. We’ve done entire blocks of storefronts as well as a single bannister a client needed decorated for a house party.”

“Our customers love and trust us,” Natalie smiles. “They’ve been with us for years, and many actually worked with us when they were teens!”

“They know our names; they come in, put money on the counter and say, ‘Give me my usual.’ When they move away, they still call to have us send flowers to their mom or grandmother…or to send holiday and thank-you gifts like amaryllis, poinsettias, and centerpieces.”

“They’ve stayed with us through all these years. And…it gets better every year!”

1522 N. Crooks Rd.
Clawson, MI  48017
248-280-5949
maplelaneflowers.com
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The Salt & Sugar Co. has a Newly Opened Restaurant in Clawson, a Food Truck and Catering Services

The Salt & Sugar Co. has a Newly Opened Restaurant in Clawson, a Food Truck and Catering Services

by | Sep 24, 2018 | Clawson, LBN Community Series, Salt and Sugar Co.

The Salt & Sugar Co. Has a Newly Opened Restaurant in Clawson, a Food Truck and Catering Services

24

SEPTEMBER 2018

BY REBECCA CALAPPI

LBN Community Series
Clawson

For Alisha and Jesse Nemeth, the Salt & Sugar Co. is a way to balance careers, faith and family.

“Our goals are to have a healthy family life and people don’t always get that,” said Alisha Nemeth, 36. “The goal for us is to prioritize our personal lifestyle and the business is there to support that. It’s about our family and our faith. This is a totally family-friendly environment. That’s what we’re trying to bring in for our customers.”

Before the Salt & Sugar Co. came to be, the Nemeths had a catering and private chef business in addition to Jesse, now 34, working as executive chef at Morton’s in Troy. But after putting in 80 hours a week, starting a family and having a side business, the couple wanted a better quality of life.

JESSE AND ALISHA NEMETH

OWNERS OF THE SALT & SUGAR CO.

They started the Salt & Sugar Co. out of a shared commissary kitchen in Southfield.

“You don’t have a lot of start-up costs because you pay by the hour,” said Alisha Nemeth. “We were there not even a year, because we were doing farmers markets and the market manager there really supported our mission, she invited us to use the city kitchen. We were there barely a year. It really gave us the start we needed.”

Now, the Salt & Sugar Co. has a newly opened restaurant with patio in Clawson in addition to a food truck and catering services.

“We wanted to be in a space that was ours and not relocate every year,” said Alisha Nemeth.

Finding the building they just opened as a restaurant was a total accident. Alisha Nemeth happened upon it, and luckily, it’s just a mile and a half from their Troy home. They love the quaintness of downtown Clawson, so the new location is a perfect fit.

After giving the building a total facelift, including painting the exterior cement wall, the Salt & Sugar Co. opened this summer.

“Not only was the food amazing, but also the pre-planning was a breeze. Everybody I talked to was amazed. They were wide-eyed, ‘Oh my goodness was that good.’”

“We’re an organic, natural food business. Our main priority is organic food. Unlike most restaurants, nearly 75 percent of our food is organic,” said Alisha Nemeth. “We don’t compromise. It’s always something we’d feed our family. If it’s not something we can make that way, we won’t make it.”

Douglas Shaible of Grosse Pointe Woods is a client of the Salt & Sugar Co. Alisha Nemeth is an acquaintance of his, and after hearing she and her husband started a business, he gave her a call when he needed a funeral catered.

“Instead of inviting everybody to a lunch in a restaurant, we just had the food brought to the location. They brought the food in prepped and ready to go,” said Shaible. “We had shrimp, asparagus wraps, roast beef and barbecue-sauced meatballs. There were a couple other plates such as cheese and fruit and crostini that they also supplied.”

Shaible and the 225 funeral guests were blown away by the food.

“It was tremendous,” said Shaible. “Not only was the food amazing, but also the pre-planning was a breeze. Everybody I talked to was amazed. They were wide-eyed, ‘Oh my goodness was that good.’”

The restaurant features a cozy eating area with order-at-the-counter casualness. “The menu took shape because we’d go to farmers markets and be hungry, we tried to create a menu for people who want coffee, lunch and a dessert,” said Alisha Nemeth.

Jesse Nemeth is famous for his salad dressings, so the salad options are a popular item on the menu. The orzo, chickpea, marinated artichoke, tomato and feta salad tossed with the lemon basil dressing is a staple. The pulled pork has been on the menu since day one. The spinach and artichoke chicken nacho have a huge fan base, while the double chocolate cold brew coffee retains its best-seller spot.

“That’s the thing with this storefront. We can offer all our favorites,” said Alisha Nemeth. “We’re trying to attract moms who want to eat this way and go out for lunch.”

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Popping by the Salt & Sugar Co. for a drink is also rewarding. From locally roasted coffee and teas to organic soda, the Nemeths take great pride in what they offer customers.

“We want to make sure we have the best drink menu. All of the stuff on our menu except two items are local,” said Alisha Nemeth. “Our coffee is Mason Jar Coffee Co. and Thumb Roast Coffee. They made us our own house blend. All of them are clean organic, but not certified. Even our shirts are printed by a local Clawson company. We’re trying to use local as much as we can because we know how difficult it is to have a small local business.”

139 W 14 Mile Road
Clawson, Michigan 48017
www.thesaltsugar.co

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