The ongoing COVID-19 restrictions on dine-in service in Michigan have not only negatively impacted restaurants, but employees, suppliers, and consumers. Those working at Michigan restaurants have had to tap into their creative sides during the pandemic to come up with solutions for keeping the lights on while safely serving their communities. This includes increasing takeout and delivery options, offering carryout cocktails, and providing more outdoordining spaces. There’s now a growing number of pop-ups and limited run events from chefs available in and around Ann Arbor, too.
By “borrowing” spaces and other resources from restaurants, those running pop-ups avoid outrageous start-up costs and can easily fine tune menus. Pop-ups also allow restaurants the opportunity to lend out underutilized kitchens in an effort to bring in additional revenue. But for some restaurants, such as Ann Arbor’s York and Ypsilanti’s community-oriented Cultivate, regularly hosting pop-ups and foo