#Stray hen cafe series

JвЂњNature and Recreation in MichiganвЂќ: U-M Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Summer Lecture Series.JMah-Jongg: U-M Turner Senior Wellness Program.JOfficial Qualifying Tour of the LPGA: Epson Tour 2022.

J'Celebrating the Last Frost,' an exhibition by Avery Williamson.

вЂњObviously, moneyвЂ™s great, but being a human being at the end of the day is more important,вЂќ he says. That might disappoint some holiday customers, but he figures his staffers will appreciate the break.ДЇronimos speaks at length about the importance of treating his employees well, given the stress caused by Covid and the general pressures of working in restaurants. Though open daily, he plans to close Thanksgiving and Black Friday, and from Christmas Day through January 2. This way, everyone can work a single eight-hour shift, although he anticipates adding some extra hours during busy seasons. With fewer than a dozen employees, Fronimos doesnвЂ™t expect to offer evening service. вЂњWho wants to get a giant waffle with the same ingredients?вЂќ вЂњThe idea is that itвЂ™s really unique,вЂќ he says. One of the most Insta-ready dishes is the $11 waffle flight combo, four mini-waffles with different fruit toppings. Most popular by far is the Everything bagel sandwich, with scrambled egg, hand-formed sausage patty, and American cheese, at $5. For breakfast, a wide array of egg dishes and pancakes start at $7, while lunch includes burgers, salads, fish tacos, and grilled cheese sandwiches from $11 to $14. Stray HenвЂ™s prices are reasonable by Ann Arbor standards. HeвЂ™s getting challah from a bakery in DetroitвЂ“heвЂ™s discovered the local version is sweeter and spongier than Chicago challah, which tends to be drier.ДЇronimos has already met some members of Ann ArborвЂ™s Greek restaurant community and discovered that the Produce Station is a good spot to find emergency blueberries for pancakes and granola bowls. Suppliers for baked goods include Barry Bagels, Washtenaw Dairy, and DJвЂ™s Bakery. The Stray Hen offers takeout but not delivery, although Fronimos is working on a plan to offer door drop-offs for residents of the apartments upstairs.ДЇronimos is quickly tapping into local ingredients. If dining in, theyвЂ™re given a number on a Michigan playing card and can choose a table. Guests first check out the menu on printed cards or by scanning a QR code, then go to the counter to order. The name doesnвЂ™t have a backstory, he says, but a number of customers have let him know that they like it because they keep chickens in their backyards.

He outfitted it with a black-and-white theme featuring a silhouette of a hen on the windows. By the time he got the keys, вЂњit was a white box,вЂќ he says, stripped of seating and decor.

#Stray hen cafe series

Stopping in Ann Arbor on a drive back to Chicago, Fronimos looked at the corner of Washington and Division, previously home to a series of Sava Farah projects: Babo Market, FredвЂ™s, and finally WilmaвЂ™s. They explored Birmingham, where they liked the lively scene but were deterred by the high rents, and Detroit, where an agent tried to interest them in buying the entire GAR Building, not just renting part of it. They subsequently had two children and began talking about relocating to be near her parents, since she is able to work from home.

The pair met in Chicago, where he was a general manager at Eataly, the upscale Italian marketplace, and she worked for Grainger, the business supply and equipment company. The choice of Michigan was inspired by his wife, Marika, whoвЂ™s from West Bloomfield. The Ann Arbor restaurant shares its name, social media, and a web platform with two restaurants in Chicago, but Fronimos owns and operates it independently. вЂњIt was like a little punch in the face, but it was a good punch in the face.вЂќ вЂњIt was a mess, and it was awesome,вЂќ says owner Chris Fronimos. By the end of the week, it was closing early because it had run out of food. The Stray Hen, at the corner of Division and Washington, opened the day before Art Fair.