About Us
History
On April 28, 2003, Ron and Michelle Bergman became the owners of the Bay Cafe'. Although, they changed the name of the restaurant, it is one of the longest established restaurants in Caseville. This business has been family owned and operated since the 1950's.
*Wallace Hart built the Bay Theatre in 1949.He added the restaurant (Bay Window) in 1958.
*The Pfeifle family purchased and operated the restaurant and theatre from 1973-1992
* Paul and Colleen Poisson purchased and operated the restaurant from 1992 - 2003
* They also purchased the theatre in 1992 and are still the current owners
Ron, originally from Pigeon, graduated from Central Michigan University with a degree in Hospitality Services Administration. He has worked in resort areas most of his career, such as, Jackson Hole, Wyoming and Park City, Utah.
Michelle, was also originally from Pigeon, likes to say she is the “not so silent” partner, has worked at Cooperative Elevator Co. in Pigeon since 1988. She can been seen wandering in and out of restaurant, watering the flowers in the hay racks and updating decorations for each season. Her favorite job when working at the restaurant is washing dishes.
Within a few weeks of purchasing the restaurant, Ron added several new items to the menu, a couple of which were chicken quesadillas and the ever popular Sweet Thang salad. He is always striving to find new and exciting items to try on the menu and their patrons look forward to the Fall when Pumpkin Pancakes are served on the weekends.
Some of the changes they have made to the restaurant are listed below:
* Repainted the inside walls within a few weeks of purchasing the restaurant.
* The sloping floor in the non-smoking section was leveled over the first Christmas Holiday and new carpet was installed through-out.
* We matted and framed the black and white photos of Caseville depicting the 1930's -1950's. These photos are owned by Paul and Colleen Poisson, but Ron and Michelle felt they were part of the charm of the restaurant and they have allowed us to use them.
* We installed hay racks under the front windows, which display flowers in the Spring/Summer, pumpkins/gourds in the Fall, and pine boughs in the Winter.
* Replaced the patio canopy with white fencing and colorful umbrellas.
* Donna Martin, a local artist, produced the stained glass pieces that are hanging in the restaurant today.
* Ron built the tables and benches you see today
* Light fixtures were replaced with the current track lighting.
* The Cafe' was painted a cottage yellow and shutters a shade of turquoise in 2008.
* The Bay Theatre commissioned Niki Hogan to paint a mural on the outside walls.
Final touches of the mural were completed with a painting on the south side with some past and current customers on the north side which can be viewed from the patio.
Ron and Michelle strive to serve high quality food by using fresh products whenever possible. When reviewing the menu, you will see it contains diner type items like burgers and fries, but also offers unique items such as quesadillas, specialty salads and much more. On occasion you may find homemade Cinnamon Rolls as Ron's mom made them and the Apple Cobbler which is always on our menu and is a crowd favorite.
