Berkley Common: Turning Challenges Into Opportunities, One Bite At A Time
By Lisa Howard
IF THE LAST TWO YEARS HAVE TAUGHT US ANYTHING, it’s that we need to find silver linings wherever we can, go with the flow and roll with the punches. Oh, and it helps if we’re eating good food while doing all of that!
Katie Kutscher, who co-owns Berkley Common with her sister Christine Gross, has become an expert in finding innovative, positive ways to run a restaurant through some pretty turbulent times.
“It’s been a roller-coaster of fun ideas and ups-and-downs,” Katie says. “We’ve really tried to capitalize on where people are in their lives and market to them in different ways, whether that’s offering take-out family dinners or getting an outdoor dining area up-and-running when people couldn’t eat inside restaurants. When the shutdown happened, we also partnered with a PR firm and raised $15,000 for restaurant workers in Berkley.”
Being nimble has meant that Berkley Common has been able to keep offering their perennially popular items – the Korean BBQ cauliflower wings with kimchee and sticky rice, the buttermilk fried chicken sandwich, the BC burger – even while creating new dishes and dining experiences.
During the summer months, the restaurant hosts its outdoor Uncommon Beach Bar & Bungalow, featuring tiki drinks and summer fare like oysters and lobster rolls. When the weather turns chilly, the Uncommon Lodge & Igloo winter dining program kicks into gear, providing space for up to six diners in each igloo and a menu of hearty, warming dishes.
THE SPACIOUS OUTDOOR AREA IS WHY THE RESTAURANT saw so many diners come from an hour or more away last winter. Berkley Common was one of the few restaurants with outdoor dining capacity. “Regardless of the pandemic, people want more outdoor spaces,” Katie says.
“Whether Covid pushed us along or not – and I believe it did – it’s just good business to have more visual aspects in a city, and that includes outdoor dining spaces. It makes for a more vibrant city.”
She points out that Berkley’s master plan has always included a vision of robust outdoor public spaces. The idea has recently gained momentum, with the City, Schools and Downtown Development Authority teaming up to put in a plaza near the corner of Coolidge and Catalpa. Now Katie is working with the City to create a pocket park on Twelve Mile to allow people to visit restaurants and retail establishments and then enjoy their purchases in an outdoor park setting.
Along with continuing to emphasize their outdoor seating, Katie and Chris have plans to open a high-end weekend cocktail bar upstairs in what’s currently the private event space.
A BIG SILVER LINING FOR BERKLEY COMMON HAS BEEN THAT THE RESTAURANT was able to attract top
talent after so many other establishments had to completely close for a good chunk of 2020. The bartenders who came to work at Berkley Common have an impressive knowledge of craft cocktails, Katie says, and she wanted to find a way to showcase those skills.
She’s been able to reopen the event space, too, albeit with much smaller groups than before. And, even though she has fewer seats in the main dining area, the restaurant’s total seating capacity has actually increased thanks to their outdoor tables.
“We’ve had to be pretty creative throughout the pandemic and look at the opportunities,” Katie says. “What’s different? How has the landscape changed, and how can we change and grow with it? We want to capitalize on the momentum of the positive things that have happened.”
As many satisfied BC diners would tell you, the restaurant has done just that.
Berkley Common | 3087 Twelve Mile, Berkley MI 48072
248.677.0795 | http://berkleycommon.com
info@berkleycommon.com
