NEWAYGO COUNTY, Mich. — After more than five years, a once commonly frequented restaurant just south of the city of Newaygo is opening their doors back up to the public.
Smuggler’s at North Shore, a callback to the past names Smuggler’s Cove and North Shore, opens today at 11 a.m. It comes after Smuggler’s Cove was drastically damaged in August of 2018 after what was believed to be an electrical fire. The original building was later demolished.
Co-owner Raeanne Huskey was a part of the groundbreaking for Smuggler’s last September.
She describes it as an American contemporary casual restaurant that offers a comforting, familiar space.
“It's been a fun process – there's been a lot of blessings along the way,” Huskey said, later adding that 120 full and part-time workers have been hired on. “Some of the people that we've met from our community are now going to be employed here. And just the excitement that the Newaygo County area has for something like this – to be back on the water. We're super thrilled to be opening.”
Their new menu was designed by executive chef Michael Allen. It boasts ambitious, creative items like their Captain Josh Sparrow pizza, described as a four-layer pizza, as well as a collection of smash burgers and entrees like goat cheese stuffed chicken breast and gourmet perch tacos.
“I think I designed the menu to be different than the local everywhere,” Allen said. “I want to appeal to all age groups, all socioeconomic levels. I think it's important that you're accessible to the populace zones… If you can appeal to everybody, then you can bring them in, you know, it makes the offseason not an offseason.”
Smuggler’s will also offer a signature cocktail menu all featuring Michigan distillers.
“If there's something that we can also do to support other small local businesses, especially Michigan-based ones, that's really important to us,” said bar lead and supervisor Chelsea Carter. “I will say, the family that owns this place – they really care about this community.
“We are ingrained in this community. We love Hess Lake, we love Newaygo, and we're just so excited to be a part of this. Things will look a little bit different, but we'd like to think it's a little bit of a facelift for us. So we're so excited to share this with everybody and hope everybody loves it as much as we do.”
Smuggler’s at North Shore is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. They are closed on Tuesdays.
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