Teacher opens new restaurant in Worth Township

Port Huron Times Herald

Bush's Restaurant in Worth Township has reopened as Bush’s – Home of Kelly Joy’s.

For Lakeport resident Kelly Kotelman, opening Bush’s - Home of Kelly Joy’s restaurant in Worth Township is a family matter.

Her grandmother and mother both worked at the former Bush’s Restaurant and now Kotelman has rebranded and reopened it, keeping the family involved.

“I look forward to seeing old and new faces alike,” she said.

Bush’s - Home of Kelly Joy’s opened at 6513 Lakeshore Road for carryout Thursday and started offering dining-in Friday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Kotelman said the restaurant will be closed on Mondays and when she can hire more staff hours will extend from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The menu includes baked goods like cookies and cake, “house favorites” like a smokehouse skillet, omelets, soups, and sandwiches like a salmon burger and barbecue pulled pork.

“Local, homemade food, that’s the best way to describe it,” Kotelman said.

The menu is a mix of items from both Bush’s Restaurant, which operated at the location until March 2020, and Kelly Joy’s Smokehouse, which Kotelman operated at 7116 Lakeshore Road in Lakeport before moving to Worth Township.

Linn Bartlett, a retired Lakeport chef who is helping Kotelman open the business, said the restaurant will have specialty smoked meats, homemade barbecue sauce and breakfast all day.

He said the restaurant will have over double the seats the Lakeport location had and locals loved Bush’s Restaurant as “the family place to go,” he said.

Kotelman said she has been working on opening the restaurant since the beginning of December and “it’s been a lot of hours” communicating with the Sanilac County Health Department while also balancing teaching special education at Fort Gratiot Middle School.

Schools will be back in-person on Monday, but she knows her staff will be able to handle the restaurant until the end of the school year, she said.

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Kotelman is raising funds with a GoFundMe, initially to get the restaurant operational, but now she’s pivoting to raise money to buy and install air units to meet new standards, which officials have given her a year to do and will cost around $50,000, she said.

The goal won’t be as high if she can make extra money with the restaurant open. It’s been a financial stall having the restaurant closed, but she thinks opening at the new location is worth it.

“I knew this was a gamble, but I think it was a better gamble to take,” she said.

Walt Badgerow, Worth Township Supervisor, said in an email he’s always ready to welcome a new business to the community.

“Takes a lot to start a new business in times like these but our country was built by brave entrepreneurs who were willing to risk their savings and invest in their dreams,” he said.

People interested in applying for Bush’s - Home of Kelly Joy’s can contact the restaurant at (810) 294-5500 or through its Facebook page.

Contact Bryce Airgood at (810) 989-6202 or bairgood@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @bairgood123.