While the University community embraced the newly renovated Michigan Underground food court during a celebration Thursday, the first floor restaurant spaces of the Michigan Union remain vacant and unfinished.
The two spaces, formerly occupied by Amer’s and The University Club, are soon to open with Starbucks and Au Bon Pain as the new tenants. Susan Pile, director of the Michigan Union, said she’s hopeful Starbucks will open in November and Au Bon Pain in January.
Both spaces are undergoing renovations before the new tenants open their doors to the public, and Pile cited the size and number of renovation of the respective spaces as the reason the restaurants won’t open at the same time.
The new tenants are in the approval phase with the University’s architecture and construction office, but should start construction soon.
According to documents acquired by The Michigan Daily via the Freedom of Information Act, both tenants’ leases expire April 30, 2023.
Au Bon Pain will pay $225,000 per year for their use of the space until April 30, 2018, when their lease price increases to $275,000 per year.
Starbucks will pay $34,000 per year for their use of the space next to the Union courtyard to be paid in monthly installments of $2,872.58.
Both vendors will also pay the University a percentage of sales.