U.P. Gourmet Girl opens shop in Marquette

Lisa Byrnes was already making a name for herself as the UP Gourmet Girl thanks to her quality catering business that was drawing loads of attention.

But what was she to do with herself during those times between catering gigs? Open up a café, of course.

Byrnes opened a retail café in downtown Marquette’s Masonic Square Market, at 128 Washington Street, in September. Since then, her lunch selections of fresh soups and sandwiches, which change daily and can be found on her Facebook page, have been making a splash.

“Today, I had a soup and salads special with turkey apple sandwich with lingonberry mayonnaise or a roasted veggie wrap with kale, zucchini, yellow peppers, red onions and pepper jack cheese,” Byrnes says. “I also have an endless selection of sweets and pastries made from scratch in small batches with butter, organic eggs, imported chocolate and lots of other fine ingredients. The sweets compliment the hot tea, fresh cider, or the brewed coffee from Michigan roasted Higher Grounds in Traverse City.”

While Byrnes, who has two helpers to cover afternoon hours, admits finding her café (with, unfortunately, no street-front visibility) isn’t extremely easy, “it’s worth the adventure.”

A curved pastry case greets visitors with plated pastries that immediately get the mouth watering. There is a chalkboard sign with the daily specials and small tables and chairs for customers to sit and enjoy lunch, while getting complimentary WiFi access.

“I love the pastries,” says Byrnes of her favorite thing on the menu. “I love to create them, experiment with new ones, whip up the old favorites in record time, and make the recipes that have been passed down from my mom and grandma. I am so blessed to be able to create sweet art that make my customers smile. Many times a day I hear ‘I’ll have one of everything.'”

Writer: Sam Eggleston
Source: Lisa Byrnes, UP Gourmet Girl