MUSKEGON, MI - A new Asian fusion restaurant is coming to downtown Muskegon.
The cocktail bar and tasting room will be located at 380 W. Western Ave. Suite 140, the former Subway location.
It’s expected to open with a soft launch in March 2026 and a grand opening in April. It will be open Wednesday through Sunday.
It will serve craft cocktails and Asian fusion small bites and is founded by Kavy Lenon, who owns the Zini vodka brand.
“This is my backyard,” Lenon said. “I might as well build a nice tasting room and bring fusion food to the downtown area, instead of having customers traveling to other places. Let’s make Muskegon a destination for fusion Asian food.”
Foodies will be able to sample bites and street food from Asian countries like Vietnam, Thailand, Laos and China. Some of those dishes will include Chinese dim sum, larb (minced meat) from Laos, Thai boat noodles and Japanese souffle pancakes.
“I want to bring some of those things people see on TikTok, trending, like ‘Oh, I want to try that, but where do I go?’”
Drinks will be made with Zini lychee vodka and Thai mango vodka.
Lenon plans to rehabilitate the 2,304-square-foot facility located in the Hines Building, a $73,000 investment. The project is expected to create between seven and 10 jobs.
Lenon said she plans to work with students in the Culinary Institute of Michigan downtown to curate a new, seasonal menu every three months.
She envisions a different student chef working at the restaurant every three months, curating a seasonal menu with a chef’s special.
She also wants to create an app that would allow customers to provide feedback to the chef - “really constructive information so that way when they finish the three months, they’re able to take that and home in on their skills,” Lenon said.
“I just really want to be able to give back to the students and help them because I know in this field it’s really hard.”
The Muskegon City Commission approved Tuesday, Dec. 9, a commercial development district and four-year tax exemption for Zini LLC. The property’s taxable value will freeze before construction, allowing Lenon to not have to pay additional property taxes during that time.
Commissioner Katrina Kochin thanked Lenon for investing back into her own community.
“I think Muskegon is a great place to invest in and am more than thrilled to see Asian fusion coming here to Muskegon,” Kochin said. “I think that’s something we desperately lack, so I’m really looking forward to going and checking it out.”
Lenon is originally from Laos and immigrated to the United States as a child with her family. She now lives in Norton Shores.
Business hours are expected to be 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sundays.
Lenon plans to do extra foodie specials and possible brunch options on Sundays.
A K-Pop themed Korean street food night is also in the plans.
Original article found here: https://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/2025/12/new-asian-fusion-restaurant-coming-to-downtown-muskegon.html
