NEWAYGO, Mich. — As he stood by the door of Jimmy’s Roadhouse on a recent afternoon, 60-year-old Jim Cory greeted incoming patrons and accepted handshakes and fist bumps from those on their way out.
“I’m thanked constantly; people saying, ‘thank you’ for standing up and getting back to normal,’’ the third generation restaurateur said with a smile. “People want normalcy.’’
What is happening at the family-run bar and restaurant along busy M-37 in western Michigan's Newaygo County is anything but normal.
Cory is keeping his place open for indoor dining, despite a state health department order that says he can’t.
The new pandemic restriction, which went into effect last week, forces bars and restaurants to shut down to indoor dining through Dec. 8. They can stay open for takeout and delivery; outdoor dining also is allowed.
“When is it going to end?’’ Cory asked. “I have employees that depend on me for a job. I’m staying open for them as well as the community. We’ve had enough.’’
And he is not alone.
A family diner in the Kent County village of Sand Lake was open for sit-down customers on Monday; a Big Boy restaurant in Michigan’s Thumb has opted to stay open for dine-in service. A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the Sanilac County restaurant. Restaurants in Lapeer and Fenton were also serving dine-in customers.
The Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association last week filed a federal lawsuit challenging the newest restrictions announced by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and her administration.
“We have taken this action only after careful deliberation and as the last available option to prevent the outright devastation of restaurant operators and their hundreds of thousands of employees across the state,’’ the association said in a news release.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services says local law enforcement and health departments are authorized to enforce the state’s emergency orders.
A spokeswoman for the regional health department that oversees Newaygo County says a Michigan State Police trooper stopped by Jimmy's Roadhouse on Monday; a report was submitted through the MDHHS complaint process.
As of Nov. 24, Newaygo County has had 1,399 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 15 deaths. Statewide, there's been 320,506 cases and 8,688 deaths.
Cory says he understands he is under health department scrutiny. He also says there has been negative posts on social media. He even had the police called on him by a couple who visited over the weekend with two small children.
After walking in and sitting down, they expressed shock at seeing people not wearing masks, Cory said. "They waited in line, walked through the restaurant, took up a table and then decided to complain. Then they left.''
Tom Adgate visited Jimmy’s Roadhouse during the Monday lunch hour.
He says it is important for community members to support local businesses. And for those who are worried about coronavirus, Adgate, who lives in nearby Croton, offers this advice: Stay home.
“It should be up to the individual, I think. If you want to stay home and protect yourself, stay home,’’ he said. “Just stay home and do what you want.’’
Cory says he employs nearly three dozen people, many of whom are struggling because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“I am staying open for them and for the community,’’ he said. “We have been part of the community for 50 years.’’
His parents and paternal grandparents took over the restaurant in 1970; it had been owned by a retired Michigan State Police trooper. Community involvement has been paramount. That was especially true in September of 1986, when heavy rains and flooding on the Muskegon River hit the area hard.
The Cory family kept the restaurant open to take care of volunteers.
“This place supplied over 300 hot meals to the people filling sandbags,’’ Jim Cory said. “Dad was making spaghetti, mac and cheese, scalloped potatoes and ham.’’
Now, he sees the community coming out to show support.
“We’ve been at capacity,’’ he said. “People from Grandville, Grand Haven, Kalamazoo. A construction crew drove all the way up from Jackson. They wanted a return to normalcy.’’
Patrons entering Jimmy’s Roadhouse pass a large yellow flag at the front entrance. It shows a coiled rattlesnake and the words: Dont Tread On Me.
The Gadsden flag, Cory says, seems an appropriate symbol amid another government-mandated shutdown.
“If you tread on me, I will bite back,’’ he said. “I am not going to just lay down. And there are many others who feel the same as I do.’’
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.