This summer the infamous breakfast spot for local southwest Detroiters took a 360 spin on what breakfast spots look like.
Jordan’s Family Restaurant, located on Michigan Ave. near Cecil Ave., was purchased this past summer by Mi Pueblo owners, the Lopez family. The children of Jose de Jesus López, Karina, Andres, Analicia, Mariana and their cousin, Juan Alfonso Muñoz – welcomed the traditional diner into the Mi Pueblo family of restaurants with open arms from previous owners Mary and Mike Spasovski who were ready to pass it on to someone new.
“We went to Jordan’s all the time as a family. That was like our breakfast spot,” says Karina Lopez, the new manager of Jordan’s,“ and he [Mike] offered it to my dad, and he said, yes; it kind of just went like that. It sounds funny to say, but that’s really what happened.”
Jordan’s, which was open for more than 30 years under Mike and Mary, is well known for their breakfast and their hearty American homestyle cooking. Bringing in generations of neighborhood families year after year to sit in those deep red booths.
Under the new owners from Mi Pueblo, changes were coming.
For six weeks the infamous homestyle breakfast family diner, Jordan’s, was on hiatus when lots of construction took place including replacement of the old seating, interior updates, and adding that Mi Pueblo touch to the space for an extra razzle dazzle.
From Banda music playing while guests enjoy their meals to the traditional styles and design of Mexican culture, the establishment looks and feels like a Mexican restaurant. It definitely is a new look for Jordan’s.
And it’s doing well.
“We have not been this busy in a while here. Any day you come in, more than likely you’ll see we’re 90 percent full. It’s a big change, but it’s a great change,” said Rachael Saxton, who has been a waitress at Jordan’s for 26 years.
However, some things stayed the same.
Mi Pueblo, which recently celebrated its 25th anniversary in early September, took over the establishment and has been using that Mi Pueblo style with what folks know and love about the food at Jordan’s.
“I don’t think there’s anything in the area that has that blend. Here [Jordan’s] you can get a chicken pita or an omelet and then also get chilaquiles, tortas and tacos.” says Lopez.
So, if you’ve been wondering, yes! You can still get your classic Jordan’s Breakfast Special dishes. The sausage, the eggs, the ham. It’s there. But, you can also get a chorizo torta or huevos divorciados too.
Though the menu might have changed and the inside looks different, you’ll also recognize familiar faces still at Jordan’s, too, as that was an important part of the development. Mi Pueblo owners asked the current Jordan’s staff if they were interested in sticking around for the fun and they were.
“It’s like a marriage, you know?,” Lopez said. “It’s their family and our family and we became one big family, you know? it’s worked out really well and we’re really enjoying it.”
For the folks who are on edge about checking it out, Saxton, the long-time waitress at Jordan’s, is excited about what’s happening and encourages the community to come find out what’s new.
“To our old clientele, we understand you guys have been around for a long time. We love you. We love to see you come in, keep coming back and don’t be scared of change. I was, but the change is great. Don’t be scared of change,” Saxton emphasized.
The new and revamped Jordan’s Family Restaurant is now open and warmly receiving new and old clientele at 7031 Michigan Ave.