LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) – Many people have returned to working in the office but in Downtown Lansing, some offices remain empty as some jobs stay virtual for now. However, as COVID-19 cases continue to go down, restaurant owners said they anticipate more people back in the office and back in their restaurants.
Less than a mile down the road from Social Sloth Cafe, customers look over the menu at Saddleback Barbecue. Co-owner Travis Stoliker said it's just a fraction of what the weekday lunch crowd used to look like before COVID hit.
"That lunch really relied on the state workers. That was people coming down for events at the Lansing Center or people just going to lunch or maybe people coming to meet each other for lunch downtown, that sort of thing," said Stoliker.
He said they're cautiously optimistic with what the future will bring as declining COVID cases bring people back to the office, and he hopes, back to his restaurant.
Officials with the downtown district said with more people working remotely, the state needs to invest money into revitalizing the area.
"We are hoping the state will support us in that five million dollar ask so we can rebuild the capital city downtown into a jewel the people of Lansing and the state of the whole deserve," said Julie Reinhardt with Downtown Lansing Inc.