MUSKEGON, Mich. — From Asian-inspired small plates to refillable household products and a late-night cocktail lounge, three new Muskegon businesses are expanding what the city has to offer.
WATCH: Muskegon is growing: 3 new businesses bringing food, sustainability and nightlife to the city
Zini, an Asian-inspired restaurant; Fillanthropie, a shop helping neighbors reduce single-use plastic waste; and Motu Lakeshore Prohibition, a wine bar and cocktail lounge, all represent a growing wave of local businesses working to connect neighbors with new experiences.
Founder of Zini, Kavy Lenon, said her restaurant is expected to open in mid to late August.
"I don't want people to skip over Muskegon," Lenon said. "I want this to be a destination. I want to be able to offer something different that people will create as a destination and experience for them."
Lenon said the menu will feature upscale Asian-inspired cuisine with a tapa-style, small plates format paired with cocktails.
"We've been lacking of different upscale Asian cuisine, but I'm bringing in a little more of that tapa style, small plates, pairing with some awesome cocktails. We're doing some flavored martinis, super excited to offer this to our community and folks that are coming to visit the Muskegon area," Lenon said.
Zini's soft launch is planned for late July. Reservations for the soft opening are available here.
Fillanthropie, a refillery and sustainable goods shop, opened in their current downtown location in November. Owner Tarah Buchan said the store offers refillable, toxin-free products ranging from body care to home cleaning — all designed to reduce single-use plastic waste.
Buchan is currently building out a bulk food section for the store, sourcing mainly Michigan brands.
"We're expanding now, refillable goods, from body care to home cleaning, to now bulk dry goods and pantry staples," Buchan said.
Motu Lakeshore Prohibition, a wine bar and cocktail lounge, opened four weeks ago. Co-owner Jonathan Jelks said the lounge features open mic nights, musical theme nights, and rotating art galleries highlighting homegrown artists throughout Muskegon.
"We have theme nights all the time. We have Motown nights, Frank Sinatra nights, classic rock, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and even a little Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, too," Jelks said.
Jelks said the community's energy has been a driving force behind the lounge's early momentum.
"I feel like there's just so much camaraderie and unity in the Muskegon area, and there's a lot of pride here, and so we've been able to tap into that," Jelks said.
He added that Muskegon's people are what make the city stand out.
"This is an absolute gem of a city," Jelks said. "The people here are the salt of the earth, very endearing, very welcoming, and we are so excited to be here."
Motu Lakeshore Prohibition is open Wednesday through Sunday. For more information, click here.
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