They found that running a restaurant and trying to have a family life with their three children was too difficult. They planned to sell to some friends but the sale fell through.

For the past two years, they’ve been renting the space and it’s been popular for weddings, baby showers, bridal showers, birthday parties and corporate events.

People kept approaching them to open one night a week as a restaurant, but they didn’t want to do that. Other friends suggested they have people bring in food.

“We bumped into a couple food vendor friends and asked if they would be interested in doing ‘pop up’ style food service here and that led us to where we are now,” Jesse said.

The dining area in the Oddfellows building can be utilized by local businesses and private groups. (Marguerite Lanthier/Daily News)

They are currently working with food vendors on a rotating basis. This month on Fridays and Saturdays, the space is being used by Millie’s Market, Curious Pig and Sugar Jets.

“We have this cool space, how can we get people to come in here to utilize this space. Like food trucks, maybe they’re shut down for the winter. We have beautiful kitchen,” he said.

Another way they are utilizing the space is by having different types of classes. They had a cooking class taught by Jack Guard that was limited to 25 to 30 people. Jesse put it out on social media asking people to email if they were interested. He got 100 emails. They added a second class that is also sold out. Last week local sommelier Kellie Klossner had a wine tasting class. More classes will be offered in the future.

“There seems to be a lot of interest. People are looking for something different to do,” he said.

Erica also thinks it helps people who may be trying to start a food- or beverage-related business.

Oddfellows is at 421 S. Stephenson Ave. in downtown Iron Mountain. (Marguerite Lanthier/Daily News)

“That’s the beautiful thing. It’s very reciprocal. Kellie is working on becoming a level three certified sommelier with the dreams of owning her own wine shop some day. This could be an incubator. She doesn’t have to invest in a physical space, and she can get started,” Erica said. “The same with a food truck vendor who has a vision of expanding at some point. This is a great opportunity for them to get their feet wet and see without the risk. It’s kind of low risk for all of us, in a way. With this new format it’s giving the space the freedom to explore these opportunities that the community is excited about.”

Rental rates start at $350 for four hours and include such services as access to the soda gun, ice machine and coffee maker along with all tables and chairs. Bar service is available for private events, and guests are encouraged to bring in their own food or have it catered by the caterer of their choice. The 4,000-square-foot space can accommodate 115 people.

They did all the remodeling work on the building when they purchased it during the COVID pandemic. One unique feature is a soot-covered brick wall that had survived a downtown fire that destroyed three buildings on the block. The current building was built after the fire.

They named it Oddfellows because the Iron Mountain Lodge of the Order of Oddfellows once was in a building that stood on the site.

They are open from 4:30 to 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, featuring food from a rotating roster of local food vendors.

Anyone with an event is encouraged to reach out. “We look forward to partnering with local businesses and entrepreneurs to help add value to our community,” Jesse said.

The building at 421 S. Stephenson Ave. is owned by Menominee Range Investments, which Jesse Land is also a partner in with his cousin, Scott Land.

They can be reached at 906-779-6115 or by email at Jesse@oddfellowsironmountain.com. Their website is oddfellowsironmountain.com and they also have a Facebook page.

———

Marguerite Lanthier can be reached at 906-774-3500, ext. 85242, or mlanthier@ironmountaindailynews.com.