NEGAUNEE, Mich. (WJMN) — The Midtown Café has been a Negaunee staple for over two decades. In that time not much has changed, and the eatery’s new owner plans to keep it that way.
Marybeth Kurtz stood at the helm for nearly 26 years before deciding to retire, and the shop is now owned by Melissa Kuhlman. Even though the city will look a lot different next year, Kuhlman says the story isn’t quite the same for the bakery. “Our soups, our sandwiches, our baked goods. Those are all staying. We are going to be seeing some tweaks, [for example] we’re working on expanding catering.”
So if you have an old favorite, it’s likely not going anywhere. The sweets, salads and sandwiches are all staying put. But change isn’t always something to shy away from. Kuhlman describes how Midtown has evolved since it first opened. Kuhlman said, “It was an old antique store that started where the counter for the bakery was actually under the first little door all the way to the back. And the rest of it was all antiques.”
There are no plans to change the interior of the restaurant right now, but the downtown construction work being done on the street may be inspiring a project that’s been on Kuhlman’s mind. “The garden! Next spring my big project will be to brighten up the garden, make it feel more inviting, and have more people want to come and dine in outside.”
So if you’re near Negaunee anytime soon, think about swinging by to say hi to the woman carrying on the Midtown Café — and if you don’t know what to get, well, Melissa may have a recommendation or two. “One of my favorite things that we actually sell right out of the bakery case is the salted chocolate ganache, caramel shortbread brownies. Sandwich wise I’m a turkey Rubin fan. I could eat them every day with a cup of soup.”
