A dormant Leelanau County institution plotting its potential return. Another Leelanau institution closing its doors for good. A pair of Suttons Bay businesses pulling out the stops for anniversary celebrations. The start of holiday festivities around the county. These are just a few of the goings-on throughout the Leelanau Peninsula as the calendar flips from October to November. The Leelanau Ticker has your update on these developments and other local retail and restaurant news.

The Bluebird plots its return

Leland’s Bluebird Restaurant and Tavern is one of Leelanau County’s oldest and most beloved restaurants, but it’s also been missing in action now for over a year. As the 2022 season wound down last October, the Bluebird’s third-generation owners, Skip and Lynn Telgard, shared plans to knock down and replace their building, located at 102 East River Street. The restaurant has been closed ever since, skipping the whole 2023 season.

Customers grew confused this year as the old Bluebird building remained standing. “Does anyone know what is happening with the Bluebird restaurant in Leland?” one local asked on the Overheard in Leelanau County Facebook page in mid-August. “The last we heard was that the building was going to be knocked down and a new one built on a smaller scale. We then recently heard rumors that the plans changed to just refurbish the old building.”

Skip Telgard responded briefly to that post, promising a “smaller, more efficient restaurant, and more…” Now, Bluebird fans have a more thorough answer about what might be coming next.

Last month, the Telgards went before the Leland Township Board to seek an endorsement of a brownfield redevelopment plan for the 0.5-acre property where the Bluebird currently sits. Per brownfield documents submitted by the Telgards, the current Bluebird building “is inefficient to operate and does not meet the current trend toward fast, casual, and increased outdoor eating spaces.”

The couple plans to demolish the “functionally obsolete” building and replace it with “a smaller restaurant closer to the serene Leland River.” The revamp would include “a large patio with 100+ outdoor [seating] spaces and indoor seating to accommodate another 100 patrons.” The Telgards are hoping “to have the redevelopment finished as soon as feasible” and “to have the new restaurant in operation late 2024.”

The redevelopment plan also encompasses a demolition and rebuild of “the adjacent former Early Bird restaurant,” currently leased to the Leelanau Coffee Roasting Company. That project would occur in a different phase, likely “in 2-3 years,” and would replace the existing structure with “a new two-story mixed-use building with retail anticipated on the first floor and up to three residential units on the second floor.”

The Telgards are seeking brownfield redevelopment funds “to offset the cost gap associated with rising construction costs and the loss of restaurant income during redevelopment through the reimbursement of eligible activities with the new tax increment generated by the redevelopment.” Estimates put the total project cost at $6.2 million, with $3.4 million for the Bluebird phase and $2.8 million for the Early Bird redevelopment. The Telgards contend their property is eligible for brownfield funding due to “meeting the definition of ‘functional obsolescence’” identified by brownfield rules.

With unanimous approval from the Leland Township Board, the Telgards’ proposal heads to the Leelanau County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority and then the county Board of Commissioners for further approvals. Pending a green light from those bodies, the Telgards will be able to receive tax increment financing to help pay for the redevelopment of the Bluebird.

Tamarack Gallery closes its doors

After 51 years in business, Omena’s Tamarack Gallery has officially closed its doors. Yesterday (October 31) marked the final day of operations.

Started in 1972 by David and Sally Viskochil, Tamarack Gallery celebrated its 50th anniversary last summer. Initially situated in a small building near Sugar Loaf, Tamarack Gallery moved to Omena in 1976 and has been a fixture there ever since, continuing even after David passed away unexpectedly in 2005. Many local artists – from painters to potters – have credited the gallery for helping to sustain their careers.

The gallery announced its impending closure this past summer, with a press release noting that Sally was “choosing this year to retire the business as she turns 80 years old.”

Poppy Things and MAWBY plot anniversary events

Two Suttons Bay businesses have anniversary events coming up in the next few weeks.

First up: This Saturday (November 4) from 10am-6pm, retailer Poppy Things will host an event to celebrate its fourth birthday. Poppy Things will be serving treats all day – including desserts by The Bakers Gamble, frozen treats from Harmony Freeze Pops, sparkling wine from MAWBY, and various non-alcoholic beverages – and will be including complimentary gift bags with purchases over $50. Attendees can also enter for a chance to win one of four $100 gift cards.

Then, on Thursday, November 16, MAWBY will host “A Sparkling Evening with MAWBY,” a storytelling event commemorating the winery’s 50th anniversary. The event, scheduled for 6pm at The Bay Theatre, will put MAWBY Founder Larry Mawby and current owners Mike and Peter Laing in conversation with Peter Payette of Interlochen Public Radio, with the discussion charting the winery’s past, present, and future. Tickets are $29 and include a glass of wine, popcorn, and the show.

Thistle and Thread Holiday Gallery moves to Suttons Bay

Now that Halloween is in the rearview, it’s officially holiday market season in northern Michigan. This year, one of the region’s most popular holiday craft fairs is moving to Leelanau County.

The Thistle and Thread Holiday Gallery announced last week that it will be setting up shop at the Suttons Bay fire station this year, with the market scheduled for Saturday, November 11 from 8am-4pm. For 46 years, Thistle and Thread has been bringing wares from an ever-growing collective of local artists and crafters to holiday shoppers in Traverse City. This year, the market is moving to Leelanau “due to venue availability.”

This year’s event will include work from 15 different crafters, whose “wide range of talents” spans from woodworking to photography to basketry to pottery. Popular items at the market typically include handcrafted holiday ornaments and decorations, handmade baby products, one-of-a-kind jewelry, and more.

Other notes from around the county:

>VI Grill in Suttons Bay will be closed from November 1-15 “for some minor renovations and upkeep,” the restaurant shared on social media last week. “We will be reopening on Thursday, November 16 and featuring our new menu as well as our fan favorite Friday Fish Fry,” the announcement added.

>Lake Leelanau bakery and sandwich shop Hannah’s had its “last day of sandwiches and ice cream till spring” this past Saturday. The business has now switched over to its off-season “After Hours” model, which offers baked goods for sale on a self-serve basis from 9am-6pm each day.

>Leelanau Cheese recently won a “Gold” rating for its Aged Raclette (aka Leelanau Reserve) cheese and a “Super Gold” for its Traditional Raclette from the World Cheese Awards. In a post announcing the news, Leelanau Cheese described the international competition as “essentially the Olympics of cheese.” Of thousands of cheeses entered from all over the world, only 101 received Super Gold ratings in this year’s competition, and just seven of those Super Gold winners came from American cheesemakers. To celebrate the honors, Leelanau Cheese has announced plans to “soft launch” a new food service menu item this weekend: Melted Raclette over locally grown potatoes, available this Saturday, November 4, from 12-6pm.