Fatty Lumpkins Sandwich Shack catalyzing downtown Muskegon, one neighborhood at a time

What started as "couple of young kids with few resources" and a search for more parking evolved into a viral, community-centric campaign to bring more green space to downtown Muskegon.

Brett Gilbert, founder of Fatty Lumpkins, recalls eyeing a vacant space near his neighborhood eatery as a possible solution for a parking issue as his customer base and staff continued to grow. 

After exploring several options and discussing ideas with city planners to purchase some extra property, Gilbert was approached by Sarah Rooks from the nearby Watermark Center to try an alternative approach with the vacant lot.

The idea turned out to be the Fat Garden Project, an entree into the state-wide Let's Save Michigan contest that has so far captured the hearts and souls of almost 4000 voters in the competition that ends on June 1.

Gilbert has been stunned by the early reaction. "I called the city and explained that we didn't mean to go around their back, but the project just took on a life on its own."

Besides Gilbert, the sandwich shop now employs five people and will be continuing to add help as he explores options to expand the business without having to move from his present location. "I want to bridge the gap between downtown Muskegon and the lakeside district by creating a new neighborhood business district," says Gilbert, who envisions a thriving downtown Muskegon, connected by unique neighborhood communities.

To learn more about the Fat Garden Project, you can visit the site here. For more information on Fatty Lumpkins, including contact information, you can visit their Facebook site here.

Source: Brett Gilbert, Fatty Lumpkins
Writer: John Rumery, Innovation and Jobs News Editor.