Mundos West Becoming Petrichor Coffee, Tommy’s Express Proposed, More Restaurant/Retail Changes

A long-time employee is taking over Mundos West with plans to reopen the space as a new neighborhood coffee shop called Petrichor Coffee in January, Tommy’s Express Car Wash is back with plans for a new TC location, Bricks & Minifigs is coming to town, and more businesses are on the move in The Ticker’s latest roundup of retail and restaurant news.

Petrichor Coffee
After working for nearly eight years for Mundos owners Dan and Melissa Clark at various locations across Grand Traverse and Leelanau counties, Brittany "Bee" Sanderson (pictured, top right) is ready to launch her own coffee shop.

The Clarks are ending their Mundos West business at 720 West Front Street next to Ace Hardware at the end of this year. They will still operate Mundos 305 further down West Front Street and Mundos HQ on Garfield Avenue, plus their wholesale business. Sanderson, 28, will take over their lease with a targeted January 4 launch of Petrichor Coffee.

Petrichor, the word for the pleasant earthy smell that follows rain, captures the cozy vibes Sanderson hopes to bring to the space. “I want to utilize the space a bit more in terms of having more seating and smaller events, like a crafts night or running club meetings,” she explains. “I’ll have cozy books for sale, more retail items, more art on the wall highlighting artists I know around town. I’d like to have events in the back garden in the spring, summer, and fall.”

Sanderson will also have a partnership with Mundos to offer their coffee on the menu and beans for retail sale. She plans to have a few pastry and grab-and-go options, plus a variety of espresso drinks and some new offerings, like hōjicha (a Japanese roasted green tea). “I’m excited to get more involved in the Slabtown neighborhood,” Sanderson says.

Tommy’s Express Car Wash
After withdrawing plans to open its first Traverse City location at the corner of East Front and Garfield, Tommy’s Express Car Wash is now targeting a launch in Garfield Township at the former Urgent Care location at 3074 N US 31 South next to AutoZone and Lowe’s.

The company’s special use permit application is scheduled for introduction at Garfield Township’s November 18 planning commission meeting. According to the application, Tommy’s has a purchase agreement in place for the 1.42-acre property with plans to demolish the existing building and construct a new “very attractive” car wash building. The site will have 10 vacuum spaces and use a water reclaim system. The property has room for approximately 40 stacking spaces.

“The site will generate some additional traffic, but in general car washes are not destination uses – meaning that a large amount of the car wash users are people who are already driving on the adjacent roadway,” the application states. Traffic will flow in a one-way circulation with access primarily off US-31, though secondary access points are available to the north.

Tommy’s Express – which bills itself as the fastest-growing car wash franchise with over 270 locations, including Cadillac and Gaylord – is known for its red-and-white buildings with matching red car brushes. The company highlights its “unique, high-capacity design and proven efficient layout,” which allows its car washes to process more than 200 vehicles per hour.

More openings, closings, and moves…
Bricks & Minifigs is coming to Traverse City. The national franchise sells new and pre-owned LEGO sets, individual bricks and pieces, minifigures, collectibles, and retired sets not always available in traditional retail stores. Local owners Brian and Lori Carls are planning a January opening for the shop at 308 US-31 South near Turtle Creek Stadium. Customers can buy, sell, and trade LEGO products, with families able to bring in sets and pieces they no longer use. “We want this to be a place where people of all ages can come together, have fun, be creative, and share their love of LEGO,” the owners said in a statement.

Great Lakes Chocolate & Dessert Company is closing its storefront on Garfield Avenue at the end of the year. The company posted Monday that it’s decided not to renew its lease and will be “shifting back to where our roots began: as a wholesale company! Our wholesale program has grown strong over the last 10 years, and we are thrilled to focus on that next chapter.” The company is no longer selling new gift cards but will redeem active cards through the end of the year and still plans to sell desserts for the holiday season.

Also on the sweets front, JoJo’s Cookie Company is relocating from Park Street in downtown Traverse City to 3480 South Airport Road next to Buffalo Wild Wings and Domino’s Pizza. The new location is three times the size of the downtown space, the owners posted. “The truth is, we NEED more space now more than ever,” they wrote. “As bittersweet as it is to leave downtown, we are so excited for this new chapter and what it will do for our business!” JoJo’s will open in its new location Wednesday, with a grand opening party planned for November 21.

Just around the corner, Crafts by CICI has opened a new storefront inside the Grand Traverse Mall. The store specializes in 3D printing, amigurumi (Japanese stuffed yarn creatures and dolls), crochet, and paintings. The company also accepts custom orders. Also on the retail front, new outdoor resale shop Second Third First Hand has officially opened its doors at Logan’s Landing. November hours are Wednesday-Sunday 10:30am-6pm (closed Monday-Tuesday). Also in Garfield Township, yoga studio Dharamsala TC has closed its Front Street location downtown and consolidated classes at its original studio at 869 Robinwood Court.

Several restaurant changes are also underway locally. Executive Chef Myles Anton is stepping down from his role at Trattoria Stella after 23 years at the restaurant. Anton, a five-time James Beard semifinalist in the category of Best Chef: Great Lakes Region, will retain co-ownership of the restaurant alongside Amanda Danielson. Executive sous chef Austin Lowe will take on the role of executive chef, while Elise Curtis-Dull will solidify her title as director of culinary operations at Stella.

As recently reported by The Ticker, Thirsty Fish Sports Grille is set to close its doors November 29. Owners Christina and Rick Thompson said it was a “very difficult” announcement to make, noting they are “no longer in a lease” and believe there are other plans for the State Street building. “Not owning the building leaves some of your success in others’ hands,” the Thirsty Fish account posted on Facebook. “There are a lot of underlying reasons, but that’s the biggest."

Ames Street Café has reopened its doors in Elk Rapids after being closed for several months for renovations. In addition to an interior refresh, the breakfast and lunch spot has shifted to counter service to “make it easier for us to put the focus on the food, where it should be,” the business posted. Restaurant hours are Thursday-Sunday 9am-1pm, with lunch available after 11:30am.

Finally, Archie’s food truck has found a new spot after the truck season recently ended at The Little Fleet. Archie’s, which offers sliders, fries, salads, and more, is posted up outside the Traverse City Whiskey Company stillhouse on Fourteenth Street. The truck is currently open seven days a week: Sunday-Thursday 12pm-8pm and Friday-Saturday 12pm-10pm.