Lori McClish, 'the face of Piper's' restaurant to retire

STURGIS — Piper’s Grinders Galore has a long history in Sturgis and has changed hands several times. But in the past 25 years, one thing has remained the same: Lori McClish.

McClish calls herself the “dough lady.” The new owner, Darrick Butler calls her much more than that.

“Lori was the face of Piper’s,” Butler said. “I thought she was the owner.”

McClish came to work at Piper's in the late 1990s. She wanted something to do once her two children were in school. So she started at 20 hours a week making food and taking out deliveries and in a matter of years she was promoted to manager.

“I love it,” McClish said.

She wasn’t there from the beginning, but almost. According to Terry Patten, from whom Butler and a partner purchased Piper’s, the restaurant traces its linage back to the famous Mancino family.

Butler heard that Mancino’s son wanted his own business. His father said, “That’s fine just don’t sell pizza.”

So he sold grinders — Grinders Galore in downtown Sturgis, next to what is now Designs by Vogt's. That didn’t last too long, and Russ and Jan Piper were next owners adding their name to title.

Some time in there McClish came along. She remembers the shop moving to a strip mall that was later taken down to make room for Meijer.

The next owner was Patten and McClish stayed on in spite of challenging life events. Her first husband, Rick Machan a Sturgis firefighter with whom she had two children, passed away because of cancer.

McClish offered to quit the job so she could handle all aftermath. But the owners said to take all the time necessary and come back when she was ready.

She did and eventually married David McClish, another city of Sturgis employee.

Once again Piper’s moved. This time to north Nottawa Street near the railroad crossing.

In all of the moves, what remained the same was McClish’s presence in Piper’s.

“My employees are like family,” McClish said.

As for customers, she might not know their names, but remembers what they order.

She didn’t just manage the restaurant, make the dough and cook, she was up front with customers as well.

When Butler and his business partner purchased the business in December 2020, they wanted a better location and building and found it in Maplecrest Plaza. That was another challenge and it took months to get everything ready but they are open since August and seeing new cliental.

McClish gives credit to Butler’s ability in the kitchen. Butler said he wouldn’t be there today without McClish.

If it was not for her, this business would not survived for him to purchase. And, in spite of being in the restaurant business 15 years Butler said he didn’t know all ins and outs.

He was trained at Le Cordon Bleu culinary school, worked around the country and most recently at Bill’s Grill House in Coldwater. During COVID Butler decided, “I work enough hours, I might as well work for myself.”

That’s when he met McClish and underwent more training.

“I’ve run kitchens not restaurants. I had no idea at all what I was doing at the front of the house,” he said.

And because of that McClish stayed on another eight months. She was planning to retire in February but wanted to make sure Butler was ready.

He's ready and she's ready.

In spite of loving it, the work is not easy and has been taking a toll on McClish's body. And her husband is retired so it’s time to move on.

But she looked around the kitchen and said, “I will miss my people.”

— Contact reporter Rosalie Currier at rcurrier@gmail.com

This article originally appeared on Sturgis Journal: Piper's Grinders employee retires after 25 years of wearing many hats