Our Story
The 601 Group didn't begin with a business plan. It began with a leap — and the belief that you grow most when you step into something you have no business doing.
The Leap That Started It All
In 2015, Mike read about Failure Lab — a storytelling event in Grand Rapids where people shared raw, unresolved stories of failure. With no event experience, he reached out and produced Failure Lab Atlanta from scratch. It cost him money and time. But it gave him something bigger: the understanding that vulnerability connects people more than polish, and that growth only comes when you step into the unknown.
After relocating back to Michigan with his wife Gina — to East Lansing, where they first met — that same pull led him to buy a small crêperie called For Crêpe Sake. No food background. No restaurant experience. Just the same belief that had always moved him forward.
Building the Portfolio
For Crêpe Sake became the foundation. Brown Butter Crêperie & Café followed. Then The Local Epicurean East Lansing — a purpose-built immersive culinary experience designed from the ground up. And most recently, the acquisition of The Local Epicurean Grand Rapids, the original home of that concept.
Four brands. Multiple cities. One belief: that food and shared experience can connect people in extraordinary ways.
The 601 Group runs on a simple conviction: people first, profits follow. That means investing in our teams before the returns are obvious, building systems that support people rather than burden them, and making decisions with the long view in mind.
We're not building for a quarter. We're building for a generation — more brands, more locations, more experiences, all rooted in the same belief that brought us here: that the best hospitality doesn't just serve people. It invites them into something.
— Mike & Gina