Michigan Restaurants Rewarded For Community Involvement

LANSING, Mich. Two Michigan brewpubs have more than making beer in common; they both recently won the Michigan Restaurant Neighbor Award from the Michigan Restaurant Association (MRA).

The Arbor Brewing Company of Ann Arbor won first place in the single-unit operators category while the North Peak Brewing Co. of Traverse City was the winner for multi-unit restaurants. Both restaurants received an award plaque plus $500 from the MRA to donate to their favorite charity, and are eligible to enter the National Restaurant Association1s contest for a $5,000 charitable prize.

While most Michigan restaurants are good neighbors and help their local communities, these two restaurants have gone above and beyond the regular charitable activities to really make a difference in their areas," said MRA Executive Director Rob Gifford. "We're proud to have such fine, community-minded restaurateurs here in Michigan."

Honorable mentions went to the Hathaway House in Blissfield and Beans and Cornbread in Southfield in the single-unit category. In the multi-unit category, honorable mentions were given to Bowers Harbor Inn of Traverse City, and to Einstein Brothers Bagels, headquartered in Golden, Colorado, but with locations in 28 states, including Michigan.

"It's really fabulous that the association sees the importance of community involvement," said Arbor Brewing Company proprietor Rene Greff. "This award is very important to us because serving others is part of our mission."

Greff donates 25 percent of her time to serving on community boards, committees and volunteer projects. Her business serves numerous charities by donating food, money and services as well as organizing fundraisers. She said their reputation for helping others has done more than bring good will and recognition to their restaurant.

"It's also helped us retain and attract quality staff," Greff said. "I'd say 50 percent of those who apply to work here do so because of our community involvement. Those are the good people we'd want anyway."

North Peak1s General Manager Mary Pat Compagnari said she's most proud of 'Hearts for Hailey' a program created to raise money for the niece of a North Peak employee who needs treatment for brain stem cancer. "Hailey1s doing really well and showing signs of improvement," Compagnari said. "It's nice that we won this award, but we1re most proud of putting smiles on faces and helping this little girl."

The Michigan Restaurant Association is comprised of more than 3,500 member restaurants. On a typical day, 298,100 people work in Michigan restaurants serving more than 4 million meals.

"Restaurants are not only good for the local economy," Gifford said. "They're good for the local community, too."