A food hall in downtown Lansing is about to deliver on its promise of shuffleboard starting this week.
Lansing Shuffle opened last year along the city’s riverfront at the site of the old City Market. The food hall offers seven restaurants and a bar, with frequent events and private bookings.
Now, with construction wrapped up, the space is adding five shuffleboard courts to its offerings. Developers behind the space say the game is accessible and easy to pick up.
“All ages can walk up and you could sit there and instantly be good at something and play the game without a ton of instruction," said Jonathan Hartzell with Detroit Rising, the firm that renovated the building. "You could sit there with a drink in your hand and a stick and the other and have a great time.”
Visitors can make a walk-in appointment, book a reservation online or join a league to play the game. The courts are located in an outdoor pavilion attached to the building, and the space has heaters and flexible walls that can roll down to keep the courts open year-round.
Hartzell said visitors should come early to save a court and get acquainted with the space.
"It's kind of like bowling, you don't just show up to bowl and expect to bowl in one minute," he said. "Especially if you're planning on eating and drinking, because you're going to want to shuffle while you're doing it and not walk away and try to figure out bar and drink."
Hartzell hopes the courts will attract more visitors to the city.
"The whole point of the space is to grow the food and entertainment scene of Lansing, to help tourism, bring outside dollars to our space, but also provide more interesting things for local."
The courts are opening this Friday as part of the city's 517 Day festival.
