You’ve heard of fast-casual places for dinner and lunch, where the food is like what you’d expect to find at a sit-down location, but you order at the counter and the food is brought to you.
Well, there is a place in Ann Arbor that is putting a spin on this concept, and making it all about brunch!
It’s called Stray Hen, and it’s located in downtown Ann Arbor. Whether you crave something sweet or savory, they’ve got something for you.
“The truth is we try to build a menu around everybody,” says Chris Fronimos, the owner. At Stray Hen they have several ways to customize your meal to make it vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free, and more.
Chris Fronimos grew up in Chicago and says his love of food started early.
“Being Greek it’s like part of our blood,” explains Fronimos. " My Dad was a purveyor, so we were always involved in the restaurant world, so that’s where I would say it started [for me].”
He first opened Stray Hen in Illinois, before bringing the concept to Ann Arbor. It’s a boutique brunch fast-casual concept. You wait in line and order with the cashier, and a runner brings out your food. They offer dishes like a waffle flight, a granola parfait loaded with fresh fruit, and a hearty salmon salad with roasted vegetables and crispy chickpeas.
The line will vary, and can take up to 45 minutes at times, but, Fronimos says, once you order, you will not have to wait for a table. The whole restaurant is carefully designed, like an “alogrithm,” says Fronimos, so there isn’t a backlog, and once you order you can easily find a table, and your food will come out shortly afterward being freshly made.
While you wait, you can enjoy the fun color atmosphere, with lots of florals hanging from the ceiling.
For the full story, watch the video above. Stray Hen is located on the corner of Division and Washington in Ann Arbor.