After living out of state for several years, Eric Gunn and his wife, Michelle Gunn, returned to East Lansing in 2004. Though they didn’t specifically reunite with their roots to start a sandwich shop, that’s what happened.
The Gunns opened Brother’s Grill in East Lansing at the end of 2008 and are prepping for what they hope to be a very successful fall 2009 semester.
“We’ve always been looking to do something like this,” Gunn says. “It just worked out.”
The Gunns wanted to get a spot right near the Michigan State University (MSU) campus. When BTB Burrito closed its doors, they jumped on the opportunity, purchasing the 1,800 square foot 403 E Grand River Ave spot before Christmas 2008.
“It’s probably a little ahead of our expectations,” Gunn says about business. “The price is right and I think we’ve found our niche.”
That niche being relatively cheap, homemade sandwiches.
“We may be quote unquote 'fast food,' but we’re not fast food because everything is cooked to order,” he says.
Source: Eric Gunn, Brother’s Grill
Ivy Hughes is the managing editor of Capital Gains and can be reached here.
All Photographs © Dave Trumpie
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