By: Deborah Johnson Wood
Jeff VandenBerg and his sister, Tami, have never owned a neighborhood bar, but that hasn't deterred them from investing $175,000 to renovate one, generate13 jobs, and help renew a formerly bleak business district in Grand Rapids.
The Meanwhile Bar at 1995 Wealthy Street SE is breathing new life into the former Two Stans bar with a rehabbed interior decked out in an eclectic mix of recycled restaurant items and collectibles. By the time the grand opening rolls around a few weeks from now, the new staff will be in place, and, Tami hopes, ready to help create a welcoming atmosphere for customers.
"We need very friendly people," Tami says. "We strongly prefer folks who have worked in the bar business previously, mainly because this is our first bar and we feel we need experienced staff."
The VandenBergs hired a full-time bar manager earlier this year, and expect to create 12 part-time jobs for bartenders, door persons, and servers. Tami foresees many of the jobs becoming full-time positions as the business grows.
"We’re hoping that adding 13 jobs along Wealthy Street is going to be a pretty big deal,' Tami says. " I’m hopeful that the bar is going to have an incredibly positive impact on the area. We’re hearing that people in the area are excited about the possibility of being able to walk to work."
Source: Tami VandenBerg, Meanwhile Bar
Related Articles
Unusual memorabilia is focal point of Uptown pub’s $175K renovation
$175K investment revives popular Uptown gathering spot
Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth. She can be contacted at [email protected].
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.