The grass-fed beef burger from Mia and Grace. The burger is one of three kinds that will be served with French fries on April 25, when the restaurant opens its "pop-up burger joint" at the Muskegon Masonic Temple.MUSKEGON, MI – Local eatery Mia and Grace was one of the first restaurants in the county to introduce a "farm to table" restaurant concept.
Later this month they'll be one of the first to hold a pop-up event.
Mia and Grace, 1133 Third, will be introducing the concept with a "Pop-up Burger Night" at the Muskegon Masonic Temple, 396 W. Clay on April 25.
Pop-up retail spaces, in which businesses temporarily open up a store or restaurant, are a growing trend nationwide.
"It's pretty common in bigger cities where chefs will go into a different venue and just take over for the day and do their own food," said Jamie Paquin, who owns the restaurant with her husband, Jeremy.
The temporary spaces are generally open anywhere from a few days to a few weeks before they close.
Mia and Grace's "burger joint" will follow a similar pattern – their pop-up restaurant will only be open for three hours, from 6 to 9 p.m.
Paquin said the restaurant's event is the first such event she's heard of in West Michigan.
She said the dining experience at the pop-up site would be a little different from their restaurant on Third Street.
For one thing, there will be more seating. At the Third Street location, the restaurant can seat up to 50 people at a time, she said. At the Masonic Temple, they will be able to seat more than 200.
View full sizeThe Muskegon Masonic Temple, on 396 W. Clay, in 1951. Mia and Grace will be holding its "pop-up" event at the building later this month.And instead of a long list of menu items, patrons will get to choose between the restaurant's grass-fed beef burger, a pork burger and a duck burger, all served on homemade bread, Paquin said.
The burgers will also come with a side of cracked pepper and thyme French fries and cost $10 each.
For kids, they will also offer a grilled cheese sandwich. Sodas and desserts will also be available.
The event will also feature live music. Paquin would not give the band's name, saying it was a "surprise," but she revealed that they were a duo from Kalamazoo.
Paquin said the event was also a way for them to introduce their patrons to the Masonic Temple's facilities.
"They have a great kitchen, a really nice venue and so we are going to be doing some catering over there in the future," she said.
Paquin encouraged the community to come out and to bring cash, since they wouldn't be able to bring the restaurant's credit card machine to the temple.
"It'll be a good night, fun for all ages," she said.
You can email Lisha Arino at larino@mlive.com and follow her on Twitter @lishaarino.