How this tiny village made its local bar the Best Outdoor Dining spot in Northern Michigan Updated Feb 16, 2021; Facebook Share Along with friend Julie Saunders, they took over ownership of the bar on Oct. 28. After some remodeling, painting and cleaning, they reopened it on Nov. 14. Then, four days later, they had to close for indoor dining like all Michigan restaurants to adhere to health department guidelines because of the Covid-19 pandemic. “But it was a fantastic four days,” Jeff Lay said. “The locals were all pouring back in, and they were happy what we had done with the place, and excited we didn’t change the name or get rid of any of the artifacts or history that’s in the bar.”