Ouzo’s, a European/Greek “taverna” at 266 E. Michigan Ave., closed suddenly at the end of the summer in 2019. But the space is about to get a second life, thanks to Portage natives and Kalamazoo restaurant/bar veterans Heidi and Jon Best.
The Bests have spent many years in the industry, working at Bell’s, Harvey’s on the Mall, Old Dog Tavern, Hop Cat, and Olde Peninsula, among others.
Alley Cat, scheduled to open in early November, will preserve much of the elegant antique Ouzo’s decor, including the exposed brick walls, the Tiffany-style lights above the bar, and the polished hardwood floor. Heidi Best has some additions in mind as well.
She opened a box full of hundreds of miniature bottles of various liquors. Many of the items in what she calls “this giant and insane collection” will soon be decorations. Vintage photos of 20th-century Kalamazoo will be going up on the walls…