Lansing Shuffle set to open its namesake shuffleboard courts Friday

Lansing Shuffle, a multi-restaurant food hall and gathering space perched on the Grand River in downtown Lansing, has become a popular destination for locals and visitors alike since it opened in January 2023. 

However, until this month, one major element was missing at the seven-restaurant, 15,000-square-foot facility: the namesake shuffleboard courts.  

Starting May 17, groups can rent one of five new shuffleboard courts by the hour.  

Jonathan Hartzell, a founding partner at Detroit Rising, the Livonia-based real estate development firm behind Lansing Shuffle, said the boards were installed at the beginning of the month. The opening date was planned to coincide with 517 Days, a two-day festival that will begin at Lansing Shuffle on Friday (May 17).  

It’s Detroit Rising’s second food hall concept. The firm also created Detroit Shipping Co., a similar venture that opened in 2018. The main difference between the two? Only one of them features shuffleboards.  

Hartzell said he got the idea a few years ago while attending a conference in Florida, where he and a few colleagues visited a “pool house” for a quick drink.   

“They had some shuffleboards there. We intended to stay there for an hour to grab a quick cocktail, but we ended up spending six hours playing shuffleboard,” he said. “What really stuck out was that it was a game that was approachable to all ages. It was instantly accessible, entertaining and fun. You’re rotating through and having conversations, which makes for a great outdoor experience.” 

He noted that the online reservation system is the quickest way to reserve a court. The boards are closed on Mondays, but they can be rented for $20 an hour from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and $40 an hour from 4 p.m. to close Tuesday through Thursday. The weekend rate is $40 an hour.  

“You're not going to want to walk over and order food while you're playing, so I recommend showing up around a half an hour before your reservation,” Hartzell said. “You’ll want to get your drinks and get acquainted with the game first. Then, you can check in 15 minutes before you start.” 

There are also plans to establish a shuffleboard league this summer, for which Hartzell said registration could begin in June. 

He hopes the new addition can expand on what Lansing Shuffle has already brought to the riverfront.  

“When we opened Detroit Shipping Co. in 2018, there were probably around 100 food halls across the country. Now, there's more than 1,000,” he said. “The concept was gaining steam before COVID hit, but it’s really taken off since. People enjoy being able to come with a group to try different kinds of food and drinks in a walkable, social setting.” 

Additionally, he said more live music and other entertainment can be expected in the coming months. 

“Our next phase is to start competing with Grand Rapids and Detroit. Instead of our community driving there, our goal is to have people from those communities start coming to us,” he said.