A new food hall and social club is opening this week in Lansing at the old City Market location.
Lansing Shuffle is located downtown behind the city convention center and along the river trail. It will launch with five unique restaurants and a bar. Two vendor stalls remain to be filled, and five shuffleboard courts are coming to the location in the spring.
Jonathan Hartzell is a developer and director of acquisitions and programming with Detroit Rising, the real estate and construction group partnering with the city for the renovation. He said they want the place to be accessible to all ages, including office employees in the city.
"We wanted something that was approachable and simple and you can just pick up and do," Hartzell said. "If you have an hour to kill or something, you can grab and hold a drink or hold some food and just kind of slide a puck or two.”
The current food vendors include Himalayan restaurant Yeti Kitchen; vegan Italian restaurant Osteria Vegana; burger and shake shop Browndog At The Shuffle; BBQ joint Irie Smoke Shack; and Southeast Asian restaurant Kin Thai.
Hartzell noted the restaurants come from all across the state. The group is looking looking to fill the two remaining vendor stalls with partners from Lansing or the mid-Michigan area. He said the variety of food options make it an inviting destination.
“You can come in with a group of people, and you don't have to agree on what food you're eating, because you can get all of it here,” Hartzell said.
Plans for redeveloping the market space began in 2020. Hartzell said the construction was difficult due to volatile material costs during the pandemic.
He added that many state employees and other office workers continue to work remotely, a potential risk for a project that aims to attract visitors to stop in for a meal or happy hour. But he said he's reassured by the city's investments in parks and areas close to the food hall.
Lansing Shuffle, located in the city's social district that allows drinking outside, is in walking distance to bars and other places to visit. Hartzell said that close proximity is exciting for people who want to park in one place and visit multiple locations by foot.
"We don't want to sit down for an hour and a half meal," Hartzell said. "We want to grab a small bite, grab a drink, go experience a few spots on a night out, want to stroll and walk ... and get a couple of cocktails, (and) find and discover things."
The grand opening for Lansing Shuffle is Thursday. Visitors can validate their parking at the convention center.
