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How Michigan's restaurant industry has changed 5 years since COVID-19 broke out

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How Michigan's restaurant industry has changed 5 years since COVID-19 broke out


NORTHVILLE, Mich. (WXYZ) — Monday marks exactly five years since the first case of COVID-19 broke out in Michigan. Since then, Michigan’s restaurant industry has faced challenges, with some restaurants closing their doors forever.

Tara Young is the proud owner of 44 Burrito in Lathrup Village, specializing in Mexican food with her own special soul food twist. Young works long hours and helps out with every job behind the scenes, because she has to.

“Finding employees is very, very difficult,” she said.

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Owner of 44 Burrito, Tara Young

Like many restaurants, Young struggled during the pandemic. She opened up 44 Burrito about 12 years ago out of her love and passion for cooking. She says the last five have been the most difficult.

“A lot of nights, I think about throwing in the towel,” she said.

Not finding workers and the rising costs of food are just a few of the reasons why Young is thinking of closing her doors for good. And she’s not the only one.

44 Burrito in Lathrup Village

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44 Burrito in Lathrup Village

“COVID’s had a long tail. It’s five years later and we are still seeing restaurant closures that tie themselves to the challenges post-COVID,” Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association President and CEO Justin Winslow said.

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According to the MRLA, over 2,000 restaurants closed down in Michigan directly related to the difficulties during and after the pandemic. But being able to adapt has helped. That includes having outdoor dining options.

“One day, my owner came up to me and said ‘hey, I got a great idea for next year. Let’s have igloos.’ And it kind of snowballed from there,” the manager of Deadwood Bar and Grill in Northville, Lee Opalewski, said.

Deadwood Bar & Grill waitress with customers

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Deadwood Bar & Grill waitress with customers

Deadwood Bar and Grill came up with their igloo idea in 2018 but continue it to this day after seeing how helpful and successful they were during the pandemic. They also continue carry-out alcohol, something stemming from COVID-19 restrictions in 2020.

Many restaurants across metro Detroit have continued outdoor dining and igloos well after the pandemic. Many social districts have also remained.

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“No matter what, we’re gonna adapt, we’re gonna try to figure out something else to do. People want to be together and have these experiences where they can dine and enjoy each other’s company,” Opalewski added.

Now the hope is that despite all the hurdles, the restaurant industry bounces back by getting younger generations excited about the craft. Winslow says this year’s Michigan ProStart Competition in Battle Creek, where high school students participate in a culinary arts competition, is a good indicator.

The Michigan ProStart Competition

The Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association (MRLA)

The Michigan ProStart Competition

“We have a record number of students right now from across Michigan: 700 students. That is almost twice as many as we had just a couple of years ago competing. That means that there’s passion and desire to be in this industry, because these are the future leaders,” Winslow said.





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College basketball roundup: No. 6 Michigan hits 90 for sixth time, routs Oakand

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College basketball roundup: No. 6 Michigan hits 90 for sixth time, routs Oakand


Ann Arbor – Olivia Olson had 23 points and No. 6 Michigan rolled past Oakland 97-54 on Sunday.

Syla Swords had 18 points and Brooke Quarles Daniels scored 11. Te’Yala Delfosse and Ashley Sofilkanich had 10 points apiece. Mila Holloway had seven assists to surpass 200 for her career. The Wolverines (10-1) reached the 90-point mark for the sixth time this season.

Michigan scored 29 points off 27 Golden Grizzlies turnovers. Wolverines opponents are averaging 25.8 turnovers per game. The Wolverines also converted 21 offensive rebounds into 31 points and their reserves outscored Oakland’s bench 26-0.

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Lianna Baxter led the Golden Grizzlies (3-9), who have lost five straight, with 14 points. Angie Smith had 13 points and eight rebounds and Makenzie Luehring also scored 13.

Olson and Swords combined for 25 first-half points as Michigan built a 54-27 halftime lead.

The Golden Grizzlies committed turnovers on their first three possessions. The Wolverines forced 15 turnovers before the break, converting them into 17 points. They also scored 18 points off 11 offensive rebounds.

Michigan has won nine straight against Oakland.



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Epstein files reveal ties to Michigan

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Epstein files reveal ties to Michigan


GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — The Justice Department released thousands of pages on the Epstein files including letters, transcripts and images. 

Court documents show that a 13-year-old girl was Epstein’s first known victim. The allegations against him trace back to a summer camp at Interlochen in 1994.

A lawsuit filed in New York in May 2020 accuses Epstein and convicted sex offender Ghislaine Maxwell of years of abuse.

The victim, Jane Doe, claims she met the two at Interlochen Arts Camp in 1994, an area about 20 minutes southwest of Traverse City.

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The lawsuit outlines Epstein and Maxwell would take her to movies and shopping and eventually started making sexual references.

When she was 14, she visited Mar-a-Lago, where she was introduced to Donald Trump. Records allege Epstein elbowed Trump and asked him in reference to the girl “This is a good one, right?”

Abuse continued to escalate over the next few years. The girl eventually moved to New York. When she was 17, she alleged Epstein raped her and on multiple occasions after that.

Epstein’s ties to Interlochen was highlighted in testimony from the group’s vice president of finance.

A letter from the group to Epstein thanked him for his $200,000 donation. It was money that went towards building a two-bedroom home known as the Green Lake Lodge, formerly known as the Epstein Scholarship Lodge.  

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An Interlochen spokesperson sent News 8 a statement Saturday.

“Interlochen is committed to ensuring a safe, nurturing environment in which our students can excel. We currently have a wide range of measures in place to ensure a safe, supportive environment for all students,” part of the statement read.

“To learn more about our comprehensive safety protocols, please visit our dedicated webpage, where you’ll find detailed information about our practices and approach. The well-being of our students will always be our highest priority.

“As has been previously publicized, Jeffrey Epstein attended Interlochen in the summer of 1967, and he was a donor to Interlochen Center for the Arts from 1990 to 2003.

“When Interlochen administrators learned of Epstein’s conviction in 2008, Interlochen conducted an internal review and found no record of complaint or concern about Epstein. All donor recognition in his name was removed from campus at that time. Subsequent to Epstein’s second arrest in July 2019, we again reviewed our records and found no report or complaint involving Epstein within our records. 

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“In keeping with our commitment to child welfare and to candor with our community, we have issued prior public statements about Epstein’s connection to Interlochen and cooperated with prosecutors and several inquiries by the media. And we encourage anyone who may have been impacted by sexual abuse, by Epstein, or any member of the Interlochen community, to report their experience and seek assistance.”



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Big Ten program to hire Alabama QB coach Nick Sheridan as OC

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Big Ten program to hire Alabama QB coach Nick Sheridan as OC


Michigan State is expected to hire Alabama QBs coach Nick Sheridan as its next offensive coordinator, On3’s Pete Nakos reported. Sheridan also serves as the Crimson Tide’s co-offensive coordinator.

Sheridan arrived at Alabama in 2024 as offensive coordinator and took on co-offensive coordinator duties this season as Ryan Grubb arrived in Tuscaloosa. He previously worked with Kalen DeBoer at Washington as tight ends coach after spending time on the staff at Indiana from 2017-21.

A Michigan alumnus, Sheridan started his coaching career at nearby Saline (Mich.) in 2010. His hire is notable for Pat Fitzgerald as he takes over at Michigan State.

After his season as the quarterbacks coach at Saline, Sheridan broke into college football as a graduate assistant at Western Kentucky in 2011. He then became the pass game coordinator and quarterbacks coach at USF in 2013 before three seasons as a graduate assistant at Tennessee from 2014-16.

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In 2017, Sheridan became Indiana’s quarterbacks coach and moved to tight ends coach in 2019, which is when DeBoer joined the staff. He then took over as offensive coordinator from 2020-21 after DeBoer’s departure for Fresno State and joined him at Washington in 2022.

Nick Sheridan would be the latest high-profile hire for Fitzgerald, who’s preparing for his first year at Michigan State. The Spartans are also adding Iowa special teams coordinator LeVar Woods, Hawkeyes coach Kirk Ferentz confirmed. Woods is expected to stay with Iowa through the bowl game before becoming MSU’s special teams coordinator and assistant head coach.

“I know it was a tough decision for him, and it was a really good opportunity for him to consider,” Ferentz told reporters this week. “We’ve had several coaches have that opportunity, as well. Just first and foremost, just want to congratulate him on that and just share a couple words about LeVar.

“He was on the team when I got here in December of ’98 and was a veteran player, one of the good veteran players that we had, and was a really big part of helping try to build this thing when we got started. Obviously a good player but more importantly a real leader and a guy who had helped set tempo and was really responsive to the way we were doing things.”



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