Vineyard Renamed, Ron's Reconsidered, Upfront Re-Viewed, Nutty Goat Replaces and NMU Re-Invented

y

THE FORMER VINEYARD is soon to be Spirits.

That'll be the new name of the party store just off of Grove Street and US-41. The new owner, Ed Jakubiszyn, a former health care worker who's made a sharp left turn in his career path, hopes to have Spirits open before the new year.

The shelves are mostly empty now but they should be filled within the next few weeks.

The new store will, of course, feature liquor, wines and beer, as well as convenience foods. Craft beers will be a specialty, and if you have a particular wine you like, Jakubiszyn says he'll find it for you and order it.

You'll notice the interior has been totally re-done. It's fair to say, the Vineyard, for all its charm and familiarity, was seriously due for an updating.
-------------------------------------------

NOT SO FAST on the re-locating of Ron's Taco Shop to downtown Washington Street.

It was scheduled to reopen earlier this month after a kitchen was installed, but the owner of the property reports a problem or two has arisen with the new tenant.

The deal's not dead, but it is uncertain at this point, according to the owner.

Ron's, meantime, has gone silent on its Facebook page. The last update, provided on November 9th, reported that "the reopening...will be coming soon!"

Stay tuned.
-----------------------------------------------

AND WHAT ABOUT the Upfront?

Realtor Dan Keller reports two serious potential buyers, one from the U.P., the other from downstate, both with a background in food service.

Their engineers and architects have toured the premises trying to determine what might be done to the property and at what price.

No offers yet. The price of the property remains at $3.9 million.

In the meantime, more than 40,000 square feet of space downtown remain vacant, including the city's best banquet facility. Marquette's tourism industry will suffer as long as that space remains unused.
-----------------------------------------------------------

THIS NATION'S BEST university-based invention program may well be the one just established at Northern Michigan University.

Invent @ NMU opened up a month ago at the corner of Presque Isle and Fair Streets. Founding Director Dave Ollila is the guy in the charge.

You may know Ollila as founder of Viosport. He popularized helmet-cams and invented back country skis. He started a video-sharing service five years before YouTube started up. He's got 12 patents. He knows a little something about making things.

And that's what Invent @ NMU is all about: making things. Widgets.
Hardware. You got an idea? Say, maybe a device to improve a golfer's putting stroke or a pan that never burns fried eggs? Then bring it in to Invent @ NMU.

The staff, consisting of Ollila and NMU students, will do the research and analysis and tell you whether your invention already exists, whether there's a market for it, and whether you'd be able to produce it at a cost-efficient price.

They'll charge you, but it'll be a helluva lot less than you'd pay otherwise, and they'll save you money--and anguish--on an invention that had no future.

Sixteen inventors have walked through the doors of Invent @ NMU so far. Ollila says if two of them actually brought their invention to market, that would be a good percentage.

All inventors, even Thomas Edison, have experienced many more failures than successes. But all you need is one.
---------------------------------------------

FOR A TOWN that already has more restaurants per capita than most other Michigan municipalities, Marquette's cup continues to runneth over.

You ready for the Nutty Goat?

Yep, that's the name of the coffee house-diner replacing the old Huron Earth Deli on Third Street. Sometime next month is the anticipated opening date.

A young couple with limited restaurant experience is diving in headfirst with a restaurant that will offer breakfast (crepes, anyone?), lunches (sandwiches and such), and dinners (tapas, maybe), as well as coffees, teas and juices.

Good, healthful, wholesome foods. Farm-to-table. Who, besides McDonalds and Burger King, isn't promising farm-to-table these days?

The new owners will be working hard and long (they're the only employees so far) to make the place welcoming and comfortable. Stop by in a month or so to say hello and to sample their crepes, tapas and lattes.
------------------------------------------------

QUICK! WHERE'S THE only barbeque restaurant in town?

Not the Union Grill. It closed down a few weeks ago.

No, it's Rollin' Smoke, a tiny drive-through on Wright Street that used to house Cruise n' Coffee. It's in a near-invisible location, now that most of the Wright Street traffic takes the little bypass to and from US-41.

The business plan, devised by owners Tom and Vanessa Curry, is a little different, as well. They close down between  July and September while they hit the road for festivals, fairs, parties and other events that have proven much more lucrative than their drive-through business on Wright Street.

They're now open five days a week. Before too long, they anticipate only three days a week. After that, who knows?

We need barbeque in town. Anybody got a spot with foot traffic or car traffic? How about just any spot that's easier to find than Waldo?