Food incubator, restaurants inside Knapp's Centre delayed. When will it open?
LANSING — Downtown Lansing Inc. is about a month away from starting construction on a multimillion-dollar food incubator that will bring six restaurants and 10 additional food concepts − including food trucks and food makers − to the historic Knapp's Centre.
The MACOTTA Club will occupy a 20,000-square-foot space in the former landmark department store at the corner of Washington Square and Washtenaw Street.
The nonprofit's incubator, with a food hall setup, bar and dining room seating for up to 300 people, was originally projected to open this spring. However, designing the space and ensuring its kitchen space would have proper venting needed to accommodate multiple users has taken time to get right, said Julie Reinhardt, director of downtown community development for Downtown Lansing Inc.
"We want to really be sure that we protect and preserve that kind of historic nature of the building," Reinhardt said. "So that took a little time to get all worked out but I think we have figured it all out and that should be a really great, beautiful space when we're done."
Here's what we know about the status of the MACOTTA Club, what restaurants are coming to the space, the project's price tag, and when it's expected to open.
What to expect at MACOTTA Club
Up to 16 "food concepts" are expected to be featured when the MACOTTA Club opens. That includes six restaurants with their own storefronts, and several food trucks and food makers, who will sell their creations inside.
The incubator will provide operational space to startup eateries and food-based businesses for two years. Each user will pay to use the space at a cost that is "well below market rate" and they will receive "business education and marketing," Reinhardt said.
It's hoped that participants will move from MACOTTA Club to their own storefront in Lansing or mid-Michigan.
When will it open?
Downtown Lansing Inc. officials hope to open the MACOTTA Club this winter, "aiming for the holiday season of 2024," Reinhardt said.
They hope to open before 2025, "but again, it's a historic building so when you start going through the concrete you never know what you're going to find."
Local cheesecakes, German dishes expected
Downtown Lansing Inc. is still taking applications for restaurants and food makers, Reinhardt said. They are finalizing contracts with others though there are a few they can confirm, she said.
That includes the first storefront for Marcus Leslie's cheesecake business, Mr. Leslie's Cheesecakes. Leslie began operating out of the Allen Neighborhood Center's incubator kitchen in 2019, eight years after he started his business. Today, his cheesecakes are available at several area Meijer stores, including the grocer's Capital City Market in downtown Lansing and its Woodward Corner Market in Royal Oak.
Mr. Leslie's Cheesecakes will have its own space inside the MACOTTA Club, where staff will sell cheesecakes by the slice and whole and he will be providing insight and assistance to the incubator's food makers, said Leslie.
It's the next logical step for his bakery, he said.
"We thought it was a great opportunity not only to expand our business but to help other business owners," Leslie said.
Joining Leslie is The German Place, the first confirmed restaurant expected to operate at MACOTTA Club. Owner Anke Grace, 53, who lives in Morrice, grew up and operated her own restaurant in her native Germany. She hopes to bring much of that traditional food to the city's downtown. The German Place will serve croquette, schnitzel and a host of other German creations.
"It's so long a dream and the plan and it's my passion," Grace said.
Additional restaurants and food concepts will be announced after their contracts are finalized, Reinhardt said.
Funding for the project
The MACOTTA Club price tag is estimated at approximately $7 million, Reinhardt said. That's more than the $4 million the nonprofit originally projected.
About $5 million has been secured. That includes grant funds from the state for "revitalization and placemaking" and post-pandemic support, she said.
Money has also come in from private investors and partnering sponsors, Reinhardt said. Additionally, some project costs are expected to be covered by in-kind services, rent, and sales there.
The nonprofit intends for the MACOTTA Club to be self-sufficient within three years of opening, Reinhardt said. Downtown Lansing Inc. will operate the incubator bar and employ staff at the incubator who will deliver food to diners and wash dishes in the kitchen.
In total, the nonprofit expects to employ 40 people at MACOTTA Club, Reinhardt said.
READ MORE:
Maternal mortality rates among Black women are grim. Ingham County hopes to change that
What we know about Lansing area restaurants, retailers who opened or closed in March
Contact Reporter Rachel Greco at rgreco@lsj.com. Follow her on X @GrecoatLSJ .
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Knapp's Centre food incubator and restaurants, Macotta Club, delayed
