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Midland’s Center City business district, the target of a major redevelopment plan to make it a more attractive place to shop, dine and explore, is now home to a business that offers a trifecta of tantalizing treats. All under one roof.
Mi Element Grains & Grounds, opened in June of 2020 by the husband-wife team of Tony and Suzanne Sutorik, is a unique three-in-one business: a microbrewery, a bakery and a coffee shop. The Sutoriks decided to blend their respective talents and backgrounds (Tony, a chemist, and Suzanne, an artist with experience in various mediums) to become entrepreneurs. Midland, said Tony Sutorik, has embraced the couple’s novel concept.
“We have received a lot of love from the community,” he said. “There are a lot of trials that face small businesses. No business can make it without community support.”
BY JON BECKER
Midland's Center City is a Hub
for Unique Business
A clear division of labor helps the happy couple stay that way.
“Suzanne is front of the house. I’m back of the house,” Sutorik said. “It takes a lot of humor. We have clear lines of authority. We each offer input but once a decision is made that’s it.”
Tony handles the baking and brewing, while Suzanne’s artistic flair is on full display with the company’s marketing
Midland's Center City Business District is home to a rather unique business, Mi Element Grains & Grounds, a microbrewery, bakery and coffee shop all in one. The husband-wife team of Tony and Suzanne Sutorik opened the doors to their new business in June, 2020 and has become a great place to hangout and enjoy its breads, brews and handmade baked goods.
Tony Sutorik spent years home brewing and baking before deciding to take this passion to an entirely different level. The Sutoriks share a belief in sustainability and they do as much as possible to not waste anything.
For instance, once the grains have been used for beer, they are dehydrated, milled and used in baked goods. Hey, just because Tony is not in a chemistry lab on a corporate campus doesn’t mean he still doesn’t consider himself a chemist.
“Craft baking is a lot like craft brewing,” he said. “There are multigrain characteristics of craft baked goods and craft beer. Some 5 to 10 percent of flour content in our baked goods is recovered brewery grains.”
The business is the quintessential Mom and Pop shop. As owners, the Sutoriks are the only ones that work there. They emphasize Michigan-made in all the locally-produced beer, coffee and freshly baked pastries their customers have come to love. It’s near a neighborhood and the place should see even more foot traffic once the City of Midland completes its $5.1 million streetscape project. This plan includes replacing sidewalks along the busy Saginaw Road corridor with 8-foot-wide pathways to make it more pedestrian and bicycle-friendly.
“The vast amount of our brewing grains is from Michigan, primarily Traverse City,” Sutorik said. “Supply chain issues have not been impacting us as much. We hunt around to find Michigan products.”
A clear division of labor helps the happy couple stay that way.
and branding efforts. Their microbrewery has as many as 4 beers on tap and currently includes a Pint of Gratitude IPA, Triticale Ale, Groovy Poodle Stout, and Barefoot Wench Cherry Porter. Their ham, cheese & cheddar croissant is a popular offering, as is a nutella croissant.
“The kids love it as much as peanut butter,” Sutorik said.
Their homemade breads, a sourdough rye and a sunflower rye they call Miss Stacie’s sunny disposition are crowd pleasers as well. They also sell jellies, sodas, teas, and coffees from other Michigan businesses. The coffee comes from Midland’s Creation Coffee, a rapidly rising star on the state’s small business scene that recently was named a 2022 Michigan Top 50 Companies to Watch Award Recipient.
Cappuccinos, lattes, brewed coffee and a variety of house made chai lattes are among Mi Element Grains & Grounds offerings. The establishment has become a community gathering place to unwind with a hot drink and a pastry and listen to live music or spin records
from the shop’s collection of records. A common sight is customers sitting for hours with their laptops, simply enjoying the ambience.
Mi Element Grains & Grounds is well on its way to becoming a neighborhood hangout with high quality offerings at reasonable prices.
The seating capacity is about 120 in what Sutorik describes as a nice open space.
“It’s large by microbrewery standards and small by coffee shop standards,” he said. “The coffee shop has been a nice addition that goes well with our hand-made baked goods.”
And let’s not forget that the microbrewery-coffee shop-bakery is also providing a venue for local artists to do their thing. Painting and yoga classes are also held there.
“We feature local talent of all kinds,” Sutorik said. “We hope people find this to be an inviting and inclusive place they want to visit often.”
Let’s see: Locally brewed beer, coffee and a mouth-watering rotation of baked goods. Sounds like the Sutoriks have all the elements to be a gem in Midland’s ever-evolving Center City district.
Mi Element
www.mielementgrainsgrounds.com
Tony Sutorik spent years home brewing and baking before deciding to take this passion to an entirely different level. The Sutoriks share a belief in sustainability and they do as much as possible to not waste anything.
For instance, once the grains have been used for beer, they are dehydrated, milled and used in baked goods. Hey, just because Tony is not in a chemistry lab on a corporate campus doesn’t mean he still doesn’t consider himself a chemist.
“Craft baking is a lot like craft brewing,” he said. “There are multigrain characteristics of craft baked goods and craft beer. Some 5 to 10 percent of flour content in our baked goods is recovered brewery grains.”
The business is the quintessential Mom and Pop shop. As owners, the Sutoriks are the only ones that work there. They emphasize Michigan-made in all the locally-produced beer, coffee and freshly baked pastries their customers have come to love. It’s near a neighborhood and the place should see even more foot traffic once the City of Midland completes its $5.1 million streetscape project. This plan includes replacing sidewalks along the busy Saginaw Road corridor with 8-foot-wide pathways to make it more pedestrian and bicycle-friendly.
“The vast amount of our brewing grains is from Michigan, primarily Traverse City,” Sutorik said. “Supply chain issues have not been impacting us as much. We hunt around to find Michigan products.”
A clear division of labor helps the happy couple stay that way.
and branding efforts. Their microbrewery has as many as 4 beers on tap and currently includes a Pint of Gratitude IPA, Triticale Ale, Groovy Poodle Stout, and Barefoot Wench Cherry Porter. Their ham, cheese & cheddar croissant is a popular offering, as is a nutella croissant.
“The kids love it as much as peanut butter,” Sutorik said.
Their homemade breads, a sourdough rye and a sunflower rye they call Miss Stacie’s sunny disposition are crowd pleasers as well. They also sell jellies, sodas, teas, and coffees from other Michigan businesses. The coffee comes from Midland’s Creation Coffee, a rapidly rising star on the state’s small business scene that recently was named a 2022 Michigan Top 50 Companies to Watch Award Recipient.
Cappuccinos, lattes, brewed coffee and a variety of house made chai lattes are among Mi Element Grains & Grounds offerings. The establishment has become a community gathering place to unwind with a hot drink and a pastry and listen to live music or spin records from the shop’s collection of records. A common sight is customers sitting for hours with their laptops, simply enjoying the ambience.
“It’s large by microbrewery standards and small by coffee shop standards,” he said. “The coffee shop has been a nice addition that goes well with our hand-made baked goods.”
And let’s not forget that the microbrewery-coffee shop-bakery is also providing a venue for local artists to do their thing. Painting and yoga classes are also held there.
“We feature local talent of all kinds,” Sutorik said. “We hope people find this to be an inviting and inclusive place they want to visit often.”
Let’s see: Locally brewed beer, coffee and a mouth-watering rotation of baked goods. Sounds like the Sutoriks have all the elements to be a gem in Midland’s ever-evolving Center City district.
Mi Element Grains & Grounds is well on its way to becoming a neighborhood hangout with high quality offerings at reasonable prices.
The seating capacity is about 120 in what Sutorik describes as a nice open space.
MIBREW TRAIL MAGAZINE
Spring 2022
Check out Hearst’s newest brand showcasing Michigan Breweries at MiBrewTrail.com.
Back to Top
Home
Check out Hearst’s newest brand showcasing Michigan Breweries at MiBrewTrail.com.
Back to Top
MIBREW TRAIL MAGAZINE
spring 2022