restaurants

Creating just working conditions for restaurant workers

Stateside Staff — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 21:30:58 +0000

'Colors-Detroit' is strengthening the city from the grassroots by providing job opportunities for the community’s unemployed residents.

Colors is not just any restaurant. It’s a restaurant with a strong mission to create fair and just working conditions for restaurant workers.

Colors is a project of the Restaurant Opportunities Center of Michigan, which is part of a nationwide movement to create fair and just working conditions for restaurant workers.

ROC-Michigan's research indicates that workers of color tend to be concentrated in the lowest-paying jobs in the restaurant industry and they are the ones most likely to have their rights violated.

Chef Phil Jones is head chef and general manager of Colors, which is located in the Paradise Valley area of downtown Detroit. You might know it as Harmonie Park right near the Detroit Opera House.

Listen to the full interview above.

Michigan's smoking ban did not hurt restaurants and bars, according to study

Steve Carmody — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 22:43:27 +0000

A new study suggests Michigan’s two-year-old public workplace smoking ban has had little effect on the state’s bar and restaurant industry.

What The Truck? Grand Rapids considers new regulations for food trucks

Lindsey Smith — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 09:00:00 +0000

This week Grand Rapids officials will debate whether food trucks should be allowed in the city. People will get a chance to weigh in on the proposed rules Tuesday night. The rules would allow food trucks but limit when and where they could operate.

Right now food trucks have to part of a special event, like ArtPrize for example. But some have found a way to operate in a sort of legal grey area under the same rules that mobile ice cream trucks operate.

Food truck craze coming to Grand Rapids?

Lindsey Smith — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 22:01:59 +0000

City planners in Grand Rapids are debating whether food trucks should be allowed in the city. Food trucks are becoming more popular thanks in part to TV shows like “The Great Food Truck Race”.

The 1913 Room restaurant to close after 30 years

Lindsey Smith — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 00:01:43 +0000

One of the state’s most renowned restaurants will close its doors this spring. The 1913 Room in Grand Rapids is Michigan’s only AAA five diamond-rated restaurants.

Doug Small is president of Experience Grand Rapids – the area’s visitors and convention bureau.

“This is not the end of the world for dining in Grand Rapids. It’s actually something to celebrate.”

The French inspired, super fancy 1913 Room will be replaced by a Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse this fall. Small says the upscale international chain does their homework before investing in a location.

“They’re seeing something in Grand Rapids that’s alive and well and I believe - the recent numbers that we just published that show that convention business is up. Hotel room revenue is at an all time high during a down economy so it supports their reasoning for coming to this community.”

Small says his group certainly touted having the only 5 diamond restaurant in the state, but says it never closed any deals.