Another popular East Lansing restaurant is closing its doors for good. This time it’s Moe’s Southwest Grill located at 551 E. Grand River Ave. The building will be repurposed to a Jersey Mike’s Subs shop.
“Yeah, we’re closing,” confirmed manager Derrick Austin Tuesday, who’s been working at Moe’s since it opened three and a half years ago. “I’ve known this (since) Sunday night ... trust me, we didn’t want to leave ... trust me, it sucks. (I’m sad) because I met a lot of friends here, lots and lots of friends, lots of families. You know, we have the best food, I would say, up and down this strip.”
Moe’s joins a growing list of other popular East Lansing eateries which includes What up Dawg? and Firehouse Subs, which both shut down business earlier this summer.
Austin said Moe’s closing had something to do with the lease of the building, but was also due to the fact that business in the summer drops off dramatically.
“I guess that’s the courtesy of East Lansing, you get so many businesses coming in and out of here. You know, during the summer time, it’s bad ... it’s like a ghost town,” said Austin, pointing to the streets out the Moe’s window.
Austin’s job will relocate to another Moe’s in Royal Oak at 14 Mile and Woodward. Austin has been back-and-forth between the two stores for the last few months, but said he will certainly miss working in a college town.
“I’ve been in the food industry for 30-plus years,” Austin said. “College town is different. I would say it’s its own world, especially East Lansing, but I would say once school starts, boom, you’re crazy busy ... and boom, they’re gone and your business slows down big time.”
Austin went on to say that chain restaurants like Taco Bell or Five Guys Burgers and Fries are able to survive the summer because they can spread the wealth from other stores within the franchise. The Moe’s franchise Austin works within only has the one other store in Royal Oak.
Moe’s was a beloved Southwest staple in East Lansing and many will miss its Moe’s Mondays and Moe’s Thursdays deals, including MSU head football coach Mark Dantonio.
My daughter just took my wife and I to Moes for a pregame meal #BeatWisconsin #irecommendthestack #V4MSU
Austin also went on to say people were lining up outside the doors of Moe’s Monday, pulling at the locked doors, devastated at its closure. Such was also a bit of the case on Tuesday.
“No!” human biology senior Anchit Menawat shouted when he learned that Moe’s was closing on Tuesday. Menawat had planned to meet up with some of his friends for lunch.
“One of my good friends, this was our thing,” he said. “We come here. It’s good food. It’s a good environment. It’s pretty upsetting for sure.”
