Grand Rapids restaurant named No. 12 brunch spot in the US
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — A popular Grand Rapids brunch spot in the Creston neighborhood is receiving national recognition.
Lucy’s, located at 1747 Plainfield Ave. near Ann Street, has landed on Yelp’s list of the top 100 brunch spots for 2024. The list names brunch spots throughout the country, with a Las Vegas restaurant snagging the No. 1 spot.
Lucy’s was ranked high on the list by Yelp at No. 12. It’s the only Michigan spot to make the list.
The Creston staple has a long history, first opened as Daane’s Market by David Daane and Simon VanderKooy in 1959. Almost 20 years later, it became D’Amico’s Food Mart, before closing in 2011. The building sat empty until 2016, when Lucy’s opened.
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The business had stayed in the VanderKooy family throughout its history until last year, when Essence Restaurant Group, which also owns The Green Well, Bistro Bella Vita and Grove, bought the breakfast and lunch spot.
“We worked so hard with the team here over the last year,” Essence Restaurant Group CEO Partner James Berg told News 8 Thursday.
He said the community reaction to the recognition has been “amazing,” with friends of employees reaching out to congratulate them.
“Brunch is a real hot thing now. You go around to any big city, any cool brunch spot on a Saturday, Sunday is just packed,” he said. “That’s what Lucy is to Grand Rapids. It’s just unique, it’s different than our competitors in the style of food we do and the cocktails that we offer … and the great service and it’s just people can count on that week after week.”
Lucy’s offers everything from chicken and waffles and skillets to smash burgers and Reuben sandwiches. There’s also vegan options, weekly features and breakfast classics. The restaurant has a bakery, which serves both Lucy’s and the other restaurants owned by Essence.
Berg said everything is made from scratch using fresh ingredients.
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“That little bit of extra care and detail to the food, and the passion of the kitchen team and the hospitality that we do with the service team, is I think what people are recognizing. Obviously they like it, because they keep coming,” Berg said with a laugh.
Lucy’s is 10,000 square feet, with space for 160 people inside and 28 on the patio. As the team gets ready for Mother’s Day, a popular brunch holiday, Berg said Lucy’s is redoing the patio with new umbrellas and new tables.
Berg said Lucy’s often serves 600 people on Saturdays and Sundays, and encouraged people who plan on stopping by for Mother’s Day to get on the waitlist ahead of time using the Yelp app.
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He said it’s great to get recognition for the team’s hard work.
“I was talking to Chef Brandon about all that blood, sweat and tears, because it’s not easy serving that many people,” he said. “(It’s) nice to know that the customers and the community recognize us for that, for what we do here.”
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