Art of the Table -- About Us -- History
Products for Entertaining
A specialty food, beverage & tabletop retail store.
606 Wealthy SE Grand Rapids, MI
askus@artofthetable.com

606 Wealthy SE
Art of the Table
History for Eastern Ave. CRC Neighborhood Walk
05/21/06

Building origins

• House portion dating back pre 1900
• Store front added in 1920's

There was a multi story wood apartment building structure on the the corner where the parking lot is now.

Originally the Joseph family lived here in the house behind the store and ran the “Wealthy Food Market” til sometime in the 1960s.  Amy & Steve met Mary Joseph who is now 80+ years old who provided the photographs with her in it as a little girl. 

Since then there were two different party store owners who each led it more into decline over the years until Anathoth Enterprises, a partnership formed by the Ruis', LaGrands and their neighbors and fellow bakery owners, the McClurg bought the building in Feb ‘03

Following 9 months of renovation they opened Art of the Table and rented out the upper apartment.  Renovations included

•             Complete tear out of front of the store (including addition of NW window)
•             Rebuilt some and added new foundation support
•             First floor, complete gut job, new utilities, plaster, new floor, saved the tin ceiling, saved the walk in cooler
•             Added accessible bathroom and store fixturing including the kitchen area
•             Added 2n'd floor back stairwell
•             Pulled 2nd floor back together (saved from collapsing)
•             Complete rebuild, brand new fully furnished 2 bedroom plus loft 1500 sq ft apartment

Steve & Amy have always been very happy with the results of their work on the building; however it couldn't have been done without many many many hours of help from tons of people including family, but also help from many EACRC folks

All the Willinks
Larry Dengerink
Dale VanProoyen
Bob Jongsma
Tony Boks
Andrea and Luke Robinson (in fact they met at the building, and Luke proposed to Andrea there!)
Joe and Becky Partridge
Kevin & Peri Dendulk
Lisa & Mark Theule

Currently we employ 7 people all but two who are within walking distance to work