Elliott Impacts Downtown Resurgence

Greater Lansing Business Monthly, Jul 2007 by Reed, Kate Carolan

Elliott is the mastermind behind some of Lansing's coolest bars and restaurants: places like 621, Troppo and Tavern ox the Square Elliott's vision has inspired a new class of people to come to Lansing after the workday. That seems to be the biggest challenge for the city's downtown.

During the working hours, politicos and businesspeople from all over the state bring a lot of economic activity into Downtown Lansing. It's after the sun goes down that remains the tricky part. Elliott has helped develop an upscale class of restaurant starting 10 years ago with 621 Michigan Avenue, which he sold a few years ago. Elliott bought the building when Oldsmobile Park and surrounding properties were starting to come up for grabs. With 621 he had a winner: Lansing's first true downtown hot spot continues to be swanky but not stuffy, a place with ambiance.

The success of 621 proved that Elliott was on to something. With an appreciation for architecture, he continued to rehab old buildings, most as loft living or retail use. But he also kept his feet planted firmly in the family business of restaurants. Along with Leo's Lodge and Leo's Outpost, the Elliotts started Poppa Leo's Pizza. After Kris finished college, he expanded Poppa Leo's to seven locations.

Elliott was ready to make his next move. "I realized a need for a casual upscale hip restaurant because the Greater Lansing area truly didn't have one," he said. "Enter the idea of Troppo."

Troppo opened in 2000, and Elliott originally chose the East Lansing location because it was a great mid-Michigan market at the time. In 2003, he decided to move Troppo to Downtown Lansing and open The Post in Troppo's former East Lansing location.

"Through our experience at 621, I decided that Downtown Lansing would support a restaurant like Troppo," Elliott explained. "We moved it to its present location in 2003 to overwhelming success."

The rest is truly history. Elliott continues to find niches that work in Downtown Lansing, with his latest creation, Tavern on the Square. This is a restaurant/bar that Elliott considers eclectic, serving drinks by an outdoor gas fireplace, offering tapas and other comfort food on the menu. Elliott also has his reaches beyond Lansing with a mixed-use condo and retail space under way in downtown Grand Rapids called Loose Lea Lofts, and a restaurant next to Van Andel Arena named Grand Woods Lounge.

Elliott plans to expand his contributions to the resurgence of Downtown Lansing. He intends to continue to purchase and rehab old and underused properties, and provide the growing number of Downtown Lansing residents with exciting destinations.

As a graduate of East Lansing High School, Lansing Community College and Michigan State University, Elliott is no stranger to the Lansing way of life and continues to push for its advancement.

"We have an inordinate amount of educated, ethnic people in the downtown as well as the obvious: state government, big business, Cooley, Sparrow, LCC and MSU," Elliott explained. "[Along with that, there's] a big inventory of beautiful old buildings." Elliott said this new wave of development was bound to happen, and similar things are happening in cities Eke Lansing all over the country.

Infinity Companies LLC

Kris Elliott, Owner

213 Ann St., East Lansing

517-371-2200

www.infinitycompanies.com