![Birch Lodge On Michigan Street Re-Opens After Fire](http://townsquare.media/site/43/files/2018/04/Screen-Shot-2018-04-03-at-4.41.39-PM.png?w=630&h=420&zc=1&s=0&a=t&q=89&w=980&q=75)
Birch Lodge On Michigan Street Re-Opens After Fire
After closing last summer following a fire, the Birch Lodge is finally back!
According to GR Mag the bar and restaurant at 723 Michigan Street is back open this afternoon (May 15) starting around 3p.m., barring any issues with their final inspection. The kitchen will open at 5p.m.
Owner John Jermstad told GR Mag that over the past ten months, crews have worked to restore the bar to what it looked like before the fire. So while the TVs, tables, kitchen and more are new, customers will recognize the same place they've been coming to for 18 years. Jermstad says you'll recognize the staff too, with about 90 percent of employees returning.
The fire happened early in the morning, July 8, 2017. Due to a quick response from the GRFD and GRPD, the building was not a total loss... but, the kitchen and storage areas were heavily damaged. Luckily, no one was injured.
The Birch Lodge is actually the place where I went on my first date with my husband, so it's got a special place in our hearts! We'll have to hit it up soon!
More From 97.9 WGRD
![Michigan Street Poutine Week Returns to Grand Rapids in 2024](http://townsquare.media/site/43/files/2023/08/attachment-Untitled-design-2023-08-23T144658.341.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![This Michigan Restaurant Named the Best Place for French Fries](http://townsquare.media/site/43/files/2024/02/attachment-Untitled-design-2024-02-27T150814.626.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Historic Michigan Restaurant Ranked Among ‘Most Famous’ in the Entire Country](http://townsquare.media/site/43/files/2024/07/attachment-Untitled-design-2024-07-15T135237.119.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Dine Inside The Whitney, A Mansion From 1894 In Detroit](http://townsquare.media/site/43/files/2024/07/attachment-the-whitney-mansion-detroit-michigan.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![You’ll Soon Be Able to Get Olga’s Kitchen’s Food in More Michigan Cities](http://townsquare.media/site/43/files/2024/07/attachment-Untitled-design-2024-07-08T172205.896.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Michigan Restaurant Now Being Called Best Buffet in Entire State](http://townsquare.media/site/43/files/2024/07/attachment-Untitled-design-1.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Downtown Grand Rapids Eatery will Reopen as Italian Restaurant](http://townsquare.media/site/43/files/2024/04/attachment-Untitled-design-2024-07-05T123852.722.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Michigan Mexican Restaurant Gets National Praise, is Named ‘Best’](http://townsquare.media/site/43/files/2023/05/attachment-Untitled-design-2023-05-24T094320.046.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![This 40+ Year Old ‘Culinary Powerhouse’ is The Best Deli in Michigan](http://townsquare.media/site/43/files/2024/05/attachment-Untitled-design-2024-05-20T101046.997.jpg?w=980&q=75)