Local: An Interview with Colin Brow

An Interview with Colin Brow of Local in Bay Harbor as it becomes a staple of Main Street for locally sourced ingredients and cocktails.

By Jasmine Turner, Social Guru 4 You

WHAT WAS YOUR DECISION PROCESS IN BRINGING YOUR RESTAURANT TO BAY HARBOR?

For me, it just made sense. We saw a huge opportunity to bring the local atmosphere to Downtown Bay Harbor and introduce sustainable, consistent business to the main street of Bay Harbor year-round. The goal? Bringing locals and out-of-towners alike to support and grow our community. Our philosophy was to bring elements of Petoskey and the surrounding areas to our restaurant, and to provide locally sourced ingredients that were grown and produced by locals themselves. Growing up in what you Northern Michiganders call, “Downstate” I have always had a passion for this small community. The quaint downtowns, local farmers markets, beautiful Little Traverse Bay, and of course, the people. There is truly nothing quite like living in Northern Michigan if you ask me. So, when deciding on whether we wanted to open a restaurant downtown Bay Harbor, it was a simple no-brainer: Yes!

WE’VE NOTICED YOU PUT A LOT OF TIME AND ENERGY INTO THE FACADE AND INTERIORS OF YOUR RESTAURANT. WHAT WAS YOUR CREATION PROCESS AND WHY?

The interior of our space was designed by a local designer, Dawn Whyte with Designs By Dawn, who has a beautiful showroom in the Downtown Petoskey District. Of course, it was very important to us to have a local designer work on our space. Dawn’s intention was to create a new and inviting space that blends both contemporary and classic elements into one to create a dining destination with a powerful aesthetic impact that will leave an impression. Lush green and natural tones and textures mixed with a boathouse aesthetic is the perfect combination for this Northern Michigan restaurant located along the Bay Harbor Marina.

WHAT MENU ITEMS SHOULD WE LOOK FORWARD TO TRYING?

One of our staff favorites is the Grilled Chicken Sandwich. My personal favorite, of course, is the Tomahawk Steak with our House Steak Sauce. I have to mention our Burrata salad, which is a fan favorite as well. Truly, we have a dish for everyone. We feature a fine selection of meats including Wagyu Beef, starters for everyone, and locally crafted cocktails. Each dish is chefdriven and inspired by locally sourced ingredients. As the seasons change, so will our featured menu items. We are currently looking forward to putting together our Fall menu for you to enjoy.

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR PRIVATE EVENT OFFERINGS.

Northern Michigan is all about events! We wanted to add to the wonderful list of venues and restaurants you can choose from when planning your Northern Michigan event. From anniversary parties and work events, to rehearsal dinners and engagement parties, we’ve done it all! Our summer has been jam-packed with private events, and we hope to see this trend continued into the summer of 2022.

WHAT SETS YOU APART FROM OTHER LOCAL RESTAURANTS?

One thing that sets us apart is our consistent lineup of local bands. This was very important to us when starting our planning process. So much so that we created space both indoors, and on our large dining patio for our local musicians to come and perform. So far this year we have had The Pistil Whips, Levitator (aka Cowboy Killers), Ty Parkin, and more! Live music and private events are something we will continue throughout the seasons. We invite you to join us for a locally sourced meal, a locally crafted cocktail, and tunes from many of our local musicians.