A small space for life’s big moments

A new event venue will soon be open in Ledgeview’s Olde-School Square, ready to host a multitude of events from a birthday party to a corporate meeting.

But what sets The Nook Micro Venue apart from other venues in the area?
While many venues are set up to host large events with well over 100 people, The Nook focuses on small, intimate gatherings at just 1,400 square feet with space to seat 50 people.

Owner Kelly Lundin, who is opening The Nook with her husband, Jessy, is no stranger to the hospitality industry.

“After I graduated from college, I got into hospitality, mainly focusing on events and catering in different hotels,” Lundin said. “After we moved down here, I had three boys and we didn’t have family, so I stopped working for a while and took a break and then decided to get back into it.”

And in deciding to get back into it, Lundin decided to create a type of venue she sought out when planning her own events.

“I’m from the Upper Peninsula, and when I had my baby shower, I had it at a place similar to this,” Lundin said. “It was an old Victorian home, but it was very much bring-your-own-items and a very simple concept of ‘we’ll provide you with the space and the chairs and an affordable hourly rate, and you can come in and you’ll get to use the space,’ and I thought, ‘what a cool idea that would be.’”

At The Nook, Lundin encourages those looking for a venue for their event to “leave the mess at The Nook and utilize the amenities [The Nook] offers, which go well beyond the standard tables and chairs.

“We have a small patio that people will be able to utilize…” Lundin said. “We have a small kitchenette area that people can use with commercial-grade refrigerators. You won’t be able to cook there, but there is a microwave and plenty of outlets for crock pots… And we do have Sonos speakers, which is a really nice feature so people can pipe in music… If you were to try to plan an event at home and have to rent chairs, typically a nice chair is $10 a piece, so with 30 or 40 of those, it’s going to cost you more than it would to rent out The Nook, and [The Nook] includes the chairs, the tables, the speaker, the garbage cans… If you’re looking to plan an event at home, those costs can really add up quickly. I hope people will be able to see the value in The Nook.”

For those interested in hosting an event at The Nook, Lundin said the process is simple.

“I’d encourage someone to come in and see the space and see if they feel that it would be the right fit for them…” she said. “Basically, they’d come in, meet with me and then we’d go over what they’re looking at, what their setup would be, and then we would have them sign a contract and secure the date for them. We aren’t necessarily planning, but we will set the room up for them and if they are having a bar, we will have to provide the bartending. But for the most part, we’ll set the room for you and you come in and self-serve. We’re not going to hover over you. We really want the concept to be really simple and easy for people.”

With an official opening date of Oct.1, Lundin said The Nook’s calendar is already filling up with a wide variety of events.

“We already have several [events] booked,” Lundin said. “Baby showers, bridal showers, a 40th birthday party, a first birthday party. I actually have a micro wedding ceremony in June and I have a little reception. I have someone using it for photography. I’ve had someone inquire about doing some food classes there, and of course meetings. I’ve had someone inquire about using it for yoga, so just a wide range of different uses.”

Learn more about The Nook at thenookdepere.com.