What started as “Mark’s Carts,” a food truck that would appear in downtown Ann Arbor’s food cart courtyard, has rapidly evolved into one of the most popular restaurants in the city. Now when one walks into the The Lunch Room they are greeted by a bustling atmosphere and an affable staff. Fitting for Ann Arbor, The Lunch Room doesn’t hide its political leanings, or the ideologies that lay at the foundation of the business. When the moron-in-chief was elected, The restaurant sold #NotMyPresident buttons, black lives matter pins and hung up posters supporting gun control.
The Lunch Room doesn’t obnoxiously advertise that it’s vegan, it just is. The food takes the shape of familiar dishes like nachos, burritos, pad thai and mac n cheese, making it accessible to patrons that aren’t vegans themselves. Yet the menu is broad enough for vegans to order something new every time they visit and the dishes are constantly on rotation based on the ingredients currently in season. The main location in Kerrytown is not the only space The Lunch Room resides in. The Lunch Room Bakery and Cafe located on Fuller Court is only a short walk from north campus and the Detroit Street Filling Station, another location in Kerrytown, opened up its doors last August. The Lunch Room is always expanding, experimenting with new flavors, and adding to their menu (try their new shakes, they are delicious.) They are a forward thinking company, whether with their food, political leanings or expansion ambitions, which is why their brand is so well respected in Ann Arbor.