Prospective new owners of La Crème, Joanna Udo and John Becker, address the Zeeland City Council Monday night to share their vision of the downtown restaurant they are acquiring at 111 E. Main Ave.
By Greg Chandler
Zeeland Record
A downtown Zeeland eatery is about to enter a new era under new ownership.
The City Council Monday night voted 6-0 to recommend approval of transferring a liquor license for La Crème at 111 E. Main Ave. to a new ownership team that is planning to acquire the restaurant. The sale of the restaurant is contingent on approval of the liquor license transfer by the Michigan Liquor Control Commission.
The prospective owners, Mandu Escapes LLC, is a husband-and-wife business team, consisting of John Becker and Joanna Udo, a couple from Belmont, just north of Grand Rapids. They currently own a restaurant in Udo’s native Nigeria, and have also been involved in multiple other business ventures, including property rental and operating adult foster care homes.
Kim De Young has owned and operated La Crème since December 2018, and before that had owned and operated a Fuzzy Peach frozen yogurt franchise at the same location for four years. De Young has had the business up for sale for several months and is looking to retire to spend more time with her grandchildren.
“These guys want to take the baton and go further than what I’ve been able to do. That’s exciting,” De Young said.
The French-themed Le Crème was awarded a Class C liquor license in 2022 under a state program that allowed for additional liquor licenses to be awarded in a community as a downtown development tool.
“Those licenses were specific for downtown properties, and they stay with the building (they cannot be transferred to a location outside downtown),” City Marketing Director Abby deRoo said. “Kim has built a beautiful, successful business that is such a key part of our downtown. That business would likely be attractive on its own, but having the liquor license attached to it makes it even more attractive (to a potential buyer).
“It allows Kim now as she’s preparing for the next phase of her life to market the business opportunity and recruit a new buyer that can live into, not just a business opportunity, but a lifestyle and be part of the brand of downtown Zeeland,” deRoo added.
Udo said she learned about La Crème being up for sale from a friend of hers, who had called the restaurant “the cutest little spot.” She plans to keep the La Crème name and “maintain most of what’s currently there.”
“We came down to look at the place and instantly fell in love with it,” Becker said. “It’s cute, it’s just been so well put-together. You walk in, and the employees are just (welcoming). It’s everything you want, to go to a place and be served. We just knew we had to have it.”
“We’re really big into just bringing community together, and that’s one thing we felt instantly when we visited there. It felt like family, connectivity. You can tell by the type of customers that are there and how the employees treat them,” Udo added.
Udo said that she and Becker are exploring the idea of adding dinner hours to La Crème. Currently, the restaurant is open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
“We don’t intend to change anything with the current morning-brunch type style (of service), but we will exploring those different items that could be on the menu for dinner service,” Udo said.
Udo and Becker say they plan to retain La Crème’s current staff.
Councilman Phung Lam thanked De Young for her commitment to Zeeland’s downtown over the past 11 years.
“It’s been a privilege to be here. I appreciate all of your support through all the years, and I’m super-excited with what John and Joanna bring to this community,” De Young said.
Pending MLCC approval of the liquor license transfer, the sale of La Crème is expected to be finalized by the end of the year.
Zeeland Record
A downtown Zeeland eatery is about to enter a new era under new ownership.
The City Council Monday night voted 6-0 to recommend approval of transferring a liquor license for La Crème at 111 E. Main Ave. to a new ownership team that is planning to acquire the restaurant. The sale of the restaurant is contingent on approval of the liquor license transfer by the Michigan Liquor Control Commission.
The prospective owners, Mandu Escapes LLC, is a husband-and-wife business team, consisting of John Becker and Joanna Udo, a couple from Belmont, just north of Grand Rapids. They currently own a restaurant in Udo’s native Nigeria, and have also been involved in multiple other business ventures, including property rental and operating adult foster care homes.
Kim De Young has owned and operated La Crème since December 2018, and before that had owned and operated a Fuzzy Peach frozen yogurt franchise at the same location for four years. De Young has had the business up for sale for several months and is looking to retire to spend more time with her grandchildren.
“These guys want to take the baton and go further than what I’ve been able to do. That’s exciting,” De Young said.
The French-themed Le Crème was awarded a Class C liquor license in 2022 under a state program that allowed for additional liquor licenses to be awarded in a community as a downtown development tool.
“Those licenses were specific for downtown properties, and they stay with the building (they cannot be transferred to a location outside downtown),” City Marketing Director Abby deRoo said. “Kim has built a beautiful, successful business that is such a key part of our downtown. That business would likely be attractive on its own, but having the liquor license attached to it makes it even more attractive (to a potential buyer).
“It allows Kim now as she’s preparing for the next phase of her life to market the business opportunity and recruit a new buyer that can live into, not just a business opportunity, but a lifestyle and be part of the brand of downtown Zeeland,” deRoo added.
Udo said she learned about La Crème being up for sale from a friend of hers, who had called the restaurant “the cutest little spot.” She plans to keep the La Crème name and “maintain most of what’s currently there.”
“We came down to look at the place and instantly fell in love with it,” Becker said. “It’s cute, it’s just been so well put-together. You walk in, and the employees are just (welcoming). It’s everything you want, to go to a place and be served. We just knew we had to have it.”
“We’re really big into just bringing community together, and that’s one thing we felt instantly when we visited there. It felt like family, connectivity. You can tell by the type of customers that are there and how the employees treat them,” Udo added.
Udo said that she and Becker are exploring the idea of adding dinner hours to La Crème. Currently, the restaurant is open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
“We don’t intend to change anything with the current morning-brunch type style (of service), but we will exploring those different items that could be on the menu for dinner service,” Udo said.
Udo and Becker say they plan to retain La Crème’s current staff.
Councilman Phung Lam thanked De Young for her commitment to Zeeland’s downtown over the past 11 years.
“It’s been a privilege to be here. I appreciate all of your support through all the years, and I’m super-excited with what John and Joanna bring to this community,” De Young said.
Pending MLCC approval of the liquor license transfer, the sale of La Crème is expected to be finalized by the end of the year.
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