GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Sugah Please Breakfast Brunch Bar is celebrating six months of serving up Bayou-inspired fare in Grand Rapids.
The restaurant is located at 1 Carlton Ave. SE at Fulton Street E.
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“We serve catfish and grits, shrimp and grits, chicken and waffles, po’boys, fried green tomatoes, beignets, just to name a few,” owner Wendy Ringo said. “We just try to put our spin on some New Orleans-inspired fare.”
Ringo has a background in medicine and public health, but she started Sugah Please in 2021 as a “passion project.” The concept began as a coffee and dessert shop in Novi, Ringo told News 8, and underwent a “natural evolution” to become a breakfast and brunch bar. From there, she moved into a space in downtown Detroit.
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The Carlton Avenue spot, which opened earlier this year, is Sugah Please’s first West Michigan location. Inside, Ringo describes the restaurant as “warm and inviting” — full of greenery, color and soft lighting. Outside, there’s a cozy patio decorated with string lights. Ringo is also working on a partially private suite for large parties.
For Ringo, the restaurant is an opportunity to show hospitality.
“Connecting, serving as a communal beacon, if you will,” the owner said. “You know, it’s really combating loneliness and isolation and anxiety, which we’re hearing so much about. … Just come in, have a good time, let’s be locked in and present.”
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So far, she says the Grand Rapids community has been “warm and welcoming,” and she’s looking forward to strengthening those bonds…