From the moment that we opened the doors, Muskegon has welcomed us with open arms. We’ve had highs and lows and through them all we’ve been surrounded by love and support, thank you Muskegon!

Business, Family, Restaurant Startup, Small businessShawn ChurchAugust 12, 2019waitingtobecomesomething, feedthepeople, startwithbeautifulfood, bar, newbeginnings, buildingmenusandbuildings, newblogger, restaurantstory, buildingourdream, lovemuskegon, Teamchurch, Eatlocal, builtbyfamily, restaurantdesign, familybusiness, containerarchitecture, behindtheline, Ittakesavillage, grateful, muskegon, nipotesitaliankitchen, italianfood, repurposed, restaurateur, lavazzacoffee, downtownmuskegonnow, threesquaredinc, localfood, familymeal, muskegonnow, friendship, nipotesresearch, shippingcontainer, nipotes, containerrestaurant, startup, watchmuskegon, welovedowntown, littleblessings, restaurantstartup, #restaurantstartup, cantcontainit, upcycled, loveyourneighbor, gogreen, coffee, family, muskegonmichigan, gelato, lavazza, downtownmuskegon, knowehereyourfoodcomesfrom, flourpower, upcycle, containerconstruction, detroitshippingcompany, Heartofthehouse, ilovemuskegon, thatsfriendship, local, Wearedowntownmuskegon, watchusgomuskegon, restaurant, iheartmuskegon, shippingcontainerarchitecture, buildingadream, Family, gomkg, builtwithlove, containerdesign, teamchurch, contained

Dolce Vita

The final touches of the restaurant are beginning to take shape...

Shawn ChurchJune 30, 2019nipote, shippingcontainer, #restaurantstartup, shippingcontainerarchitecture, drinklikeanitalian, lovemuskegon, Teamchurch, lovedowntown, architecture, Family, containerarchitecture, restaurantstory, iheartlavazza, thatsfriendship, nipotesitaliankitchen, lavazza, Ittakesavillage, design, cargotecture, contained, nipoteswife, muskegonmichigan, buildingmenusandbuildings, Heartofthehouse, cargoarchitecture, containerconstruction, buildingadream, startup, artandarchitecture, bar, betterwithfriends, builtbyfamily, decor, builtwithlove, lavazzacoffee, becomingabuilding, nipotespractice, aperolspritz, buildingourdream, espresso, nipotes, teamchurch, restaurantstartup, downtownmuskegonnow, countyourblessings, Businessoffamily, italianfood, bialetti, cantcontainit, chipsandspritz, italiancoffee, team church, behindtheline, iheartmuskegon, downtownmuskegon, coooksinthekitchen, containerrestaurant, becomingnipoteswife, begrateful, restaurantdesign, downtown, containerdesign, becomingnipotes, architecturalrevolution, familybusiness, belocalsupportlocal, restaurantdecor, buildit, Wearedowntownmuskegon, coffee, friendship, construction, familymeal Comments

Bienvenidos a Miami

Winter seemed to hit late and hard this year. It halted school, I think we had 14 snow days, and it slowed construction. It was a perfect opportunity to sneak away for a little research and a lot of sun...

Menu Creation, Restaurant Startup, Travel, Small businessShawn ChurchApril 4, 2019Charcoalmiami, restaurateur, restaurantstartup, newblogger, restaurantstory, sobewff, becomingnipotes, dreamingofitaly, arancini, nipotesresearch, throwbackthursday, italia, nipoteswife, drinklikeanitalian, macchiato, sunshine, Wynwoodyard, artinspiration, gelato, upcycle, basil, bruschetta, gnocchi, pasta, miami, lovethelocals, miaminights, miamieats, #charcoalmiami, South beach Miami, menudevelopment, spritzaperol, nipotesitaliankitchen, menudesign, aperol, aperolspritz, imtheprosecco, iloveitaly, #restaurantstartup, Giada, restaurant, cincin, charcoalmiami, chipsandspritz, italiancoffee, streetart, italianfood, buildingmenusandbuildings, mural, spritz, miamirestaurant, ravioli, nipotes, Flymkg, miamifood, graffitiart, jimmyhendrixComment

Finding Balance... Glass Balls

When I shared this blog with Jeff his first reaction was that it was pretty personal. I struggled with it as well. It’s not about the construction, menu or design but it is about one of the biggest challenges I’ve faced in this adventure...

Small business, Business, Working Mom, Family, Balance, Restaurant Startup, Mom, PersonalShawn ChurchJanuary 27, 2019family, watchmuskegongo, begrateful, lovemuskegon, Flymkg, allthelove, blessed, bringyourkidtoworkday, firmfoundation, nipotes, luckywife, puremichigan, macchiato, restaurantstartup, Wearedowntownmuskegon, countyourblessings, newblogger, muskegon, thinkinsideofthebox, enjoythejourney, partnersmeeting, downtownmuskegon, nipotesitaliankitchen, airportnavigator, ilovemuskegon, belocalsupportlocal, Teamchurch, builtwithlove, watchusgomuskegon, gnocchi, myhubbyrocks, gomkg, teamchurch, shippingcontainer, Balance, watchmuskegon, muskegonmichigan, lovedowntown, Workingmom, builtbyfamily, iheartmuskegon, Family, containerarchitecture, Travelingmom, upcycle, nipoteswife, Firm foundation, uptown, inthekitchenwithkids, restaurantstory, uptownmuskegon, Businessoffamily, riccottagnocchi, shippingcontainerarchitecture, restaurateur, buildingadream, containerdesign, becomingnipotesComment

Be the Willow

If you know me personally, you know that planning is not my forte. I don’t have a need to have a plan, and I have always found a way to get things accomplished despite that trait...

Business, Travel, Personal, New, Restaurant StartupShawn ChurchDecember 30, 2018becomingabuilding, lookatthebrightside, luckywife, eatlocal, architecturalrevolution, restaurateur, nipotesitaliankitchen, countyourblessings, ecofriendly, nipote, muskegonbornmuskegonbread, begrateful, shippingcontainerarchitecture, waitingtobecomesomething, muskegonnow, upcycled, gogreen, salvagedbeauty, becomingnipotes, clayave, lovedowntown, thinkinsideofthebox, containerdesign, littleblessings, madewithlove, restaurant, downtownmuskegon, basiloneverything, downtown, restaurantstartup, downtownmuskegonnow, nipotesresearch, buildingadream, containerbar, Mlive, newblogger, roofsanddecksandfloorsohmy, watchmuskegongo, teamchurch, restaurantdesign, Firm foundation, ilovemuskegon, sunshine, knowyourfarmer, startwithbeautifulfood, shippingcontainer, family, bringyourkidtoworkday, design, Eatlocal, uptown, upcycle, firmfoundation, #mlive, framily, herecomesthesun, breakingground, nipotes, builtwithlove, feedthepeople, cargotecture, cantcontainit, shippingcontainerart, tablefortwo, familymeal, Bethewillow, grateful, actsoflove, containerarchitecture, nipoteswife, i💛yellow, watchusgomuskegon, watchmuskegon, buckconstruction, threesquaredinc, artandarchitecture, Ittakesavillage, restaurantstory, iheartmuskegon, Heartofthecity, reuse, welovedowntown, supportlocalbusiness, exploretheworld, belocalsupportlocal, paintthetownyellow, construction, uptownmuskegon, Businessoffamily, partnersmeeting, friendship, builtbyfamily, Family, newbeginnings, blessed, Teamchurch, Wearedowntownmuskegon, uptowngirls, architecture, interiordesign, #restaurantstartup, Heartofthehouse, localfood Comments

Partners in Hospitality

I’ve always felt that the restaurant business is rooted in hospitality and a passion to serve others. As we look for vendors, farms, shops to partner with these two things have been prevalent throughout West Michigan...

Business, Personal, Restaurant Startup, NewShawn ChurchDecember 9, 2018nipotes, uptowngirls, ecofriendly, startwithbeautifulfood, teamchurch, builtbyfamily, #gfs, Paella, chefstable, Friedbasil, watchmuskegon, uptown, lovedowntown, eatlocal, oliveoil, tastetesting, tastetestingfornipotes, restaurantstartup, gomkg, restaurantstory, waitingtobecomesomething, iheartbasil, prosciutto, salvagedbeauty, lovemuskegon, restaurantdesign, #restaurantstartup, Eatlocal, partnersmeeting, newblogger, nipotesresearch, family, downtownmuskegon, #gordonfoodservice, cantcontainit, localfood, Family, menudevelopment, nipotesitaliankitchen, #testkitchen, Businessoffamily, supportlocalbusiness, seasaltflakes, knowehereyourfoodcomesfrom, ilovemuskegon, Teamchurch, watchmuskegongo, firedoor, belocalsupportlocal, cheese, watchusgomuskegon, restaurateur, muskegon, iheartmuskegon, Wearedowntownmuskegon, nipote, restoration, myhubbyrocks, familymeal, buildingadream, coooksinthekitchen, feedthepeople, becomingnipotes, uptownmuskegon, local, nipotespractice, beautifuldoors, nipoteswife, restaurant, whatdietComment

Happily Broken-hearted

Jeff and I had the chance to be part of an amazing local event last month. Community enCompass puts on the Taste and See each year which is a progressive dinner tour in the core City of Muskegon...

New, Business, Personal, Restaurant StartupShawn ChurchOctober 21, 2018restaurantstartup, restaurantstory, lovemuskegon, downtownmuskegon, becomingbruschetta, iheartmuskegon, muskegonrocks, architecture, salvagedbeauty, belocalsupportlocal, knowyourfarmer, downtown, lovedowntown, #restaurantstartup, blessed, costolutoflorentinotomatoes, farmerandyrocks, downtownmuskegonnow, bruschetta, Radicalneighborliness, loveyourneighbor, feedthepeople, iheartbasil, muskegonhistory, heirloomtomatoes, nipote, restoration, Businessoffamily, nipotesresearch, nipotes, slowdowntogofast, heritagetomatoes, revitalize, nipoteswife, firedoor, restaurant, ilovemuskegon, Heartofthecity, emergentstrategy, Wearedowntownmuskegon, communityencompass, watchusgomuskegon, Heartofthehouse, localfood, Tasteandsee, Family, newblogger, nipotespractice, eatlocal, nipotesitaliankitchen, welovedowntown Comments

Cooks in the Kitchen

Have you ever noticed that during a party people tend to congregate in the kitchen? It’s like there’s a magnet that pulls us there, into the space where everything happens.

Signed, Sealed, Delivered

Our lead designer says that the bigger the drawings get the closer we are to breaking ground, so we must be getting close!

More than Dirt...

So you may have wondered what in the heck we’ve been doing since we shared the first renderings. Is that crazy container building really coming to downtown?

Inspired Food in an Inspired Space

If you’ve been following our adventure you know that we are about to build the first full service restaurant constructed out of shipping containers in West Michigan. When we began thinking about upcycling our building we looked for others that had done the same thing.

We Can’t Contain It!

When we realized we had to tear down the building and start from scratch we knew we had an opportunity to do something incredibly unique and exciting. We wanted to do something that not only stood out but also had a small footprint.

Downtown-the heart of the city

I love downtown, there’s a reason when we looked for a brick and mortar we chose to be downtown, to invest in and to be a part of its resurgence...

What’s in a name?

We’ve had lots of questions about the name of the restaurant but I thought instead of just telling you what it means I’d give you the story behind it.

My Family, My Team

By the nature of my job I travel a lot. I spend hours in airports, hotels and random restaurants. As I sit at the gate this morning contemplating why I booked a flight that leaves before Starbucks opens, I’m reflecting on how blessed I am.

Shawn ChurchMarch 30, 2018airportnavigator, restaurantstartup, Littlechefs, nipoteswife, Travelingmom, iheartcoffee, Family, Teamchurch, Sicknessandhealth, nipotes, Businessoffamily, littleblessings, newblogger, nipotesitaliankitchen, Ittakesavillage, Workingmom Comments

Here's to new beginnings

Well friends we are making progress and sometime next week the building will come down. Despite the fact that the building is in shambles and lacks a foundation it makes me a little sad. This building, in its glory was someone else’s new beginning.

Shawn ChurchMarch 25, 2018nipotes, newblogger, containerarchitecture, watchmuskegon, nipoteswife, downtownmuskegonnow, nipotesitaliankitchen, cantcontainit, restaurantstartup, newbeginnings, dodgeComment

A bottle of red by headlamp

Lots of people think about opening a restaurant, some even attempt it and a rare few find success. With odds like that it can be difficult to try but last fall my incredibly brave husband took a leap of faith and quit his job to become a restaurateur...without an actual restaurant, or even a building.

Shawn ChurchMarch 16, 2018restaurant, cantcontainit, nipotes, restaurantstartup, gomkg, eatlogal, containerarchitecture, restaurateur, nipoteswife, nipotesitaliankitchen, cheeselady, refosco, downtownmuskegonnow, watchmuskegon Comments

NIPOTE'S WIFE