Moments & Milestones
The Making of a Timeless Hospitality Business
What I’ve Learned from Jim Collins
Throughout my career, I’ve been incredibly fortunate to spend time with some of the best business minds in the world. During my time operating within World 50—the world’s premier, invitation-only community for senior executives from leading global companies—I had the privilege of sitting across the table from legendary thinkers, CEOs, and authors whose ideas have shaped entire industries.
One of the most impactful of them all—for me personally and for the work I’m doing now—was Jim Collins.
Profit Is Not a Dirty Word
For the first few years of running our hospitality businesses, I’ll admit—profit wasn’t something we thought about very often. It wasn’t that we didn’t care about money. It’s just that we had more urgent problems.
Like a lot of small business owners, we opened our first location—For Crêpe Sake—with a dream and a lot of heart. Our focus was on creating a place people wanted to visit. A place that served delicious food, made people feel welcome, and gave our team a meaningful and enjoyable place to work. Then came the pandemic, and the goal narrowed even further: just keep the doors open.
A Boxing Gym, a Vision, and the Next Chapter
The final chapter (so far) in the story of The 601 Group starts, somewhat unexpectedly, with a boxing gym.
As we began planning for The Local Epicurean East Lansing, we spent months searching for the right location—even before the franchise agreement was signed. We explored new developments, old buildings, strip malls, indoor malls, stand-alone storefronts—you name it, we considered it.
From Pasta to Possibility: The Origins of The Local Epicurean EL
As we continued to grow For Crêpe Sake and Brown Butter, our trips back and forth to Grand Rapids became more frequent. And on nearly every visit, we found ourselves stopping in next door—to a charming little shop called The Local Epicurean.
We’d pick up fresh pasta, take-and-bake dinners to feed the family or a unique bottle of wine. But over time, it became more than just a convenient stop. We started talking more with Steve and Ryan, the founders and owners of The Local Epicurean and learning the story behind what they had built.
The Deal, the Scramble and the Second Beginning
“Yes, actually just prior to the pandemic we met with a business broker about selling the business.”
That was the one-line response to my email. I had reached out to Brown Butter Crêperie & Café on a whim, after ordering a Mother’s Day Brunch Box and being blown away by the creativity of the experience. I didn’t expect much—maybe a quick conversation.
Instead, a few back-and-forth emails and some quick diligence later, the business was ours.
From Shutdown to a New Beginning
March 2020 changed everything.
Like every other restaurant, we were forced to shut down. At first, it was just a temporary closure. Then, we tried switching to takeout only. But being in downtown Lansing, our business relied heavily on foot traffic—state workers, office employees, and the daily buzz of commerce. Now, the streets were empty. Outside of a few incredibly loyal customers who stopped by out of the kindness of their hearts, sales had essentially dropped to zero.
The 601 Group: How It All Began
Some ideas start with a business plan. Others begin over breakfast.
When Gina and I moved back to Michigan after eight years in Atlanta, we felt a pull to reconnect with the community we had always considered home. East Lansing was where Gina was born and raised, where we met while at Michigan State, and now, where we were raising our family.
Introducing Moments & Milestones
Welcome to Moments & Milestones, the journal of The 601 Group. This space is where we’ll document our journey of building a great and enduring hospitality business—one that redefines how people connect over food, shared experiences, and welcoming spaces.