What Up Dawg has been treating students and families to Michigan-made sausages, sides and beer for a year now in Downtown East Lansing. Thanks to loosened restrictions on their business made by the city, they’ll now be able to do exactly that much later into the night.
“In East Lansing, you can only go so far with lunch and dinner,” says What Up Dawg owner Seth Tompkins. “We have quality food, and it’s lower priced food, so we’re a good option for younger families and students. But really, our mainstay is the Thursday though Saturday, pre-, during- and post-bar crowd.”
With beer sales previously limited to midnight and dine-in service limited to one in the morning, catching the notoriously late-night local crowd was a challenge. In February, the East Lansing City Council lifted those restrictions, allowing beer sales until two in the morning, and dine-in service until three.
“We’re going to become the late night place people want us to be,” says Tompkins. “A lot of people want to go have a beer somewhere and talk to each other. And people who were at the bars can come here get some food in their stomachs and wind down.”
What Up Dawg has also expanded their menu over the last year to include sliders, salads and more. The restaurant continues to stick to
its commitment to stocking primarily Michigan products. In addition to Tompkins, What Up Dawg is owned by MSU alumni Jared Lawton, Brandon Lynaugh and Mark Heckert.
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