Lobdell’s: A Teaching Restaurant to be closed for spring semester

TRAVERSE CITY — Northwestern Michigan College today announced that it has canceled the spring opening of Lobdell’s: A Teaching Restaurant due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Great Lakes Culinary Institute Executive Director Les Eckert said the cancellation is due to current statewide restaurant restrictions and ongoing concerns for the safety of students, faculty, staff and guests as cases in northwest Michigan continue to climb.

“We are saddened to lose this semester at Lobdell’s, but know that this is the right decision, consistent with NMC’s overarching goal of keeping students and employees safe,” Eckert said. “I am so proud of the way the college community has found new ways to meet the needs of our learners during the pandemic. We remain dedicated to their success, even if we need to make adjustments along the way to keep everyone safe."

By order of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, restaurants in the state have been closed for indoor service since Nov. 18, 2020. That closure has been extended twice, on Dec. 7 and again on Dec. 18. The uncertainty of future extensions and the fact that Lobdell’s operates as a class made it impractical to open.

Located on NMC’s Great Lakes Campus just east of downtown Traverse City, Lobdell’s offers culinary students a comprehensive, hands-on experience in running a restaurant, from menu planning to preparation to service. It typically offers lunch service three days per week in the fall and spring semesters. In the summer it functions as a bakery cafe, serving coffee and pastries three mornings per week.

“As of now, we look forward to being fully operational for Cafe Lobdell's in the summer and Lobdell's lunches in the fall,” Eckert said. “We can’t wait to bring our student chefs and community together again over a shared love of great food!”

Release date: January 7, 2021

For more information:

Diana Fairbanks
Executive Director, NMC Public Relations, Marketing & Communications
(231) 995-1019
dfairbanks@nmc.edu

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