Autonomous buses, new pizza parlors, and fan-favorite Leelanau businesses hitting the market are a few of the highlights from Leelanau County in the leadup to summer’s final days. Read more about each in the Leelanau Ticker’s latest roundup of county news.

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore kicks off autonomous bus pilot project
Late last month, the National Park Service and the State of Michigan announced a partnership with ADASTEC, an autonomous electric bus company, to launch a pilot deployment of one of those buses inside the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore this fall. The project is funded by a $250,000 grant from the National Park Service Mobility Challenge Program, an effort established last year by Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer “to identify and deploy advanced mobility and electrification technologies” to Michigan’s five National Parks. ADASTEC will bring one of its self-driving buses to Sleeping Bear Dunes to “transport passengers around the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive.”

Scott Tucker, superintendent for the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, confirms that ADASTEC will begin offering rides on its autonomous bus starting tomorrow (Thursday, August 22). Those interested in booking a seat on the 21-seat bus can do so here. Time slots are available for tomorrow and for the next week. More details about the tour – including the starting location and the total route – can also be found on the booking page.

The ADASTEC pilot program at Pierce Stocking Drive is set to run from this week until early October.

Bay Pizzeria opens in Suttons Bay
Owners of Bay Burrito in Suttons Bay recently acquired the nearby Premonitions Pizza & Arcade and have now rebranded and reopened the pizza parlor as Bay Pizzeria. Located at 100 Cedar Street, the restaurant held a soft opening over the weekend and is open for business again starting today (Wednesday).

Bay Pizzeria has “not officially established our operating hours or days as of yet,” according to a recent Facebook post, but will be open 3-9pm this week from Wednesday to Sunday. Based on that post, Bay Pizzeria is sharing staff with Bay Burrito, a seasonal restaurant that closes down around Labor Day each year. Many Bay Burrito staff have reportedly expressed interest in continuing employment at Bay Pizzeria during the offseason, hence Bay Pizzeria’s plans “to establish operational hours and days” after Labor Day. In the meantime, Bay Pizzeria will be sharing its hours on social media at the outset of each week.

As part of the rebrand, Bay Pizzeria has rolled out a new menu that includes pizzas, calzones, salads, sandwiches, breadsticks, and cheese bread. In addition to dine-in service, the restaurant has also launched a delivery option and is already touting itself as “the only delivery available in Suttons Bay.

Gilchrist Farm Winery gets a new culinary team
Suttons Bay’s Gilchrist Farm Winery is also rolling out a new menu, courtesy of a new culinary team.

The winery announced on Instagram this weekend that it had recently hired Justin Tootla and Jennifer Jackson – a chef duo known for their work in the Detroit area. The two were previously the chefs at Ferndale’s Voyager restaurant, which has been covered in Esquire and Food & Wine Magazine. More recently, they were the brains behind Detroit’s now-shuttered Bunny Bunny restaurant, which served South African Indian and American South cuisine; and Big Girl, which offered smash burger and fried chicken pop-ups around town.

“Their arrival marks the debut of our brand-new menu, thoughtfully crafted to blend comfort and locally sourced farm-to-table goodness,” Gilchrist said on Instagram. “Every dish is designed to highlight the best locally sourced, seasonal ingredients—delivering cozy, approachable food that everyone will love. Highlights include greatest hits like BLT, corn ribs, and smoked whitefish chowder. Unique to the menu is the Leelanau Burger, sourced 100% from the Leelanau Peninsula, and the Gilchrist Chopped Salad, made entirely of in-season produce grown on our farm.”

Broomstack building, Around the Corner restaurant hit the market
Two notable pieces of commercial real estate have recently hit the market in Leelanau County.

First, the Maple City property that is currently home to both Broomstack Kitchen & Taphouse and the Leelanau Curling Club was listed last week for $1,350,000. The listing, which includes 6.32 acres of land and 15,003 square feet of building space at 172 West Burdickville Road in Kasson Township, notably does not include either business.

“This unique commercial property, located in the heart of Leelanau County, offers an incredible opportunity for a thriving business venture,” the real estate listing touts. “The property features a fully equipped curling facility, making it a one-of-a-kind attraction in the area. Additionally, it boasts a spacious bar and restaurant, perfect for dining and social gatherings. There is ample outdoor space for dining, allowing guests to enjoy the natural beauty of Leelanau County. The property also includes a versatile gym area, ideal for fitness classes or additional event space.”

The Leelanau Ticker reached out to both Broomstack and the Leelanau Curling Club for comment; neither business responded.

Also for sale is Around the Corner Food & Fun, located at 115 South Waukazoo Street in Northport. That listing includes both the real estate and the business for an asking price of $449,000, inviting prospective buyers to “hit the ground running with this turn-key business that is ready to go with steady income from your first day.” Restaurant assets included in the sale include “food trailers, equipment, inventory and decor.”

Around the Corner owner Laura Cavendish did not return a request for comment. Cavendish started the business in 2018, when she began serving food out of a tent at Northport’s Music in the Park Festival. Around the Corner graduated to a food truck at the 115 South Waukazoo location in 2020, and then built an indoor dining and bar component on the property in 2022.

Leelanau Gifts to close its doors

Finally, Leelanau Gifts in Lake Leelanau announced earlier this month that it would be closing its doors for good in the near future. “We have cherished every moment of helping you find the perfect Lake Leelanau gifts and thank you for your support over the years,” the business wrote in an Instagram post. Since that post on August 1, Leelanau Gifts has been offering 20-50 percent discounts on everything in the store as part of a “Closing Down Sale.”