Operation Success: Three Cats Cafe (Clawson, Michigan)

Mary Liz Curtin knows an opportunity when she sees one.

Business was booming at her successful retail store, Leon & Lulu, in Clawson, Michigan, just an hour north of Detroit. Selling everything from custom furniture to women’s clothing plus a wide selection of gifts and accessories, the 15,000-square-foot store is located in a vintage roller rink for a very unique shopping experience. The popular destination store, which opened in 2006, was drawing customers from a two-hour radius.

However, something was missing.

“There wasn’t a great place nearby to send ladies for lunch,” said Mary Liz, who owns and operates the store with her husband, Stephen Scannell. “Since we are always looking for ways to make shopping with us more fun, we thought ‘what better way to do this than to open a restaurant where shoppers could a get a beautiful lunch to complete their shopping experience?’”

When an opportunity arose to purchase the1940s theatre next door to Leon & Lulu in 2016, the couple lovingly restored the space—making it an extension of their original store and adding a restaurant. Today, the Show at Leon & Lulu features quirky cards, custom framing and locally made gift items, and Three Cats Cafe serves a tasty menu of fresh, light menu items.