Credit The York Team / York Food & Drink
Even though his great-grandmother died in the flu pandemic of 1918 and his great-grandfather warned him it could happen again, the owner of York Food and Drink on Packard in Ann Arbor, Tommy York, said he didn t believe that would ever happen.
And now, here he is in the pandemic that began in 2020, doing his best to stay in business and keep the community fed and connected. WEMU s Lisa Barry talks with York in this week s Art and Soul about how he has done that and his gratitude for all the community collaboration and customer support.
Small Biz Saturday: Collaborations at YORK lift up small businesses amid pandemic
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ANN ARBOR, Mich. – YORK has become synonymous with community and collaboration in Ann Arbor.
Located on Packard Street, the business has served Tree Town for decades but during the COVID-19 pandemic, it transformed into the place to be for small business collabs and safe socializing.
Utilizing the open-air space next to the building, affectionately called the Yard, the owners of YORK have made it a place for customers to enjoy drinks and food.
During the summer, this meant setting up socially-distanced tables and chairs for food truck visits and pop-up events. Now, visitors can sip their drinks sitting next to one of eight firepits.
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