Clik here to view.
The Wafel Shop owners Noah Goldsmith and Tia Hoffman inside the new restaurant at 113 E. Liberty Street.
Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com
The restaurant at 113 E. Liberty St., the former Cafe Japon space, opened at 10 a.m. following several months of renovations.
“We’re really excited,” Goldsmith said. “It’s been a long journey.”
Goldsmith originally hoped to open the Wafel Shop on South Fourth Avenue, but canceled those plans after realizing the building’s electrical capacity would not meet the restaurant’s needs. In October, he partnered with Hoffman and signed a lease for the space on East Liberty.
Clik here to view.
A Liege-style waffle from the Wafel Shop with whipped cream, Biscoff and chocolate sauce.
Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com
The menu at the Wafel Shop includes two types of Belgian-style waffles: the Brussels, with a crispy exterior and fluffy interior, and the Liege, a dense, sweet waffle with chunks of pearl sugar on the inside. A gluten-free waffle will be available next week.
Toppings include fruit, nuts, bacon, maple syrup, chocolate sauce, whipped cream, Nutella, peanut butter and Biscoff spread. Each waffle is $5, and toppings cost between $1 and $2. Powdered sugar and butter is included for free.
"We are a waffle shop,” Hoffman said. “We serve waffles and the toppings that adorn them. We’re not doing hash browns or anything like that.”
Goldsmith agreed, saying: “I think that the waffle is really something you can eat any time of day, particularly the Liege waffle. Coming from Belgium, it’s the street food I think it’s a great blank canvas to add whatever you want to it.”
Their favorite waffle combinations include: the Liege waffle with strawberries, chocolate sauce, whipped cream and almonds; or the Liege waffle with Biscoff, whipped cream and strawberries.
The Wafel Shop sources produce from Frog Holler Produce Co., dairy products from Calder Dairy, and Zingerman’s is making a Wafel Shop coffee blend.
“As an owner of a small business, we feel it’s really important to support other small businesses as we grow,” Goldsmith said in a statement. “We’re focused on providing exceptional service and products, and we want area businesses to be involved from the start.“
There are 16 seats at the restaurant, but because it only takes three minutes to make a waffle, customers can get them to go.
“They’re very portable,” Hoffman said. “We can slide them down into sleeves.”
The Wafel Shop is open this week from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Normal hours start on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Clik here to view.
Co-workers Jason Rapai and Matt Rose dig into their waffles from Wafel Shop at the new restaurant in downtown Ann Arbor
Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com
Lizzy Alfs is a business reporter for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at 734-623-2584 or email her at lizzyalfs@annarbor.com. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/lizzyalfs.