East Lansing's Grand River Avenue corridor is getting at least two new restaurants as Michigan State University students return for fall semester, but two other concepts that opened or were announced in 2025 have already vanished.
Pizzawala's, an Indian pizza restaurant at 523 E. Grand River Ave., "is expected to be finished within the next 30 days," Heather Pope, East Lansing community and economic development director, told East Lansing Info on Tuesday, Aug. 25. The sit-down spot between The Peanut Barrel and Kimchi Box will serve specialty pizzas inspired by Indian cuisine, including a paneer korma pizza, plus beer and wine.
Franchise owner Sougata Roy had targeted a soft opening in February after initial plans to open in fall 2025 fell through. Construction delays kept pushing the date back.
Bibibop Asian Grill, a Columbus, Ohio-based chain with about 80 locations, is building out its first Michigan restaurant at 309 E. Grand River Ave. between the Curious Book Shop and Tin Can. Director of marketing Jason Whitt told the Lansing State Journal in June that the company hoped to open "in August or September" to catch the start of MSU's fall semester.
"We just love the energy that comes with campus locations and Michigan State is one that we couldn't pass up," Whitt said at the time.
The 2,900-square-foot space will seat 50 and employ about 25 people, serving customizable Korean-inspired bowls with options like Korean barbecue beef and purple rice. East Lansing is one of two Michigan locations in the works for Bibibop; the other is in Canton. The company has not confirmed an exact opening date.
Still years in the making
Coratti's Pizzeria Bar and Bocce at 321 E. Grand River Ave. started construction in 2022 and remains unfinished. Pope confirmed the Howell-based restaurant's owners still plan to open, though no timeline is set. The two-floor space will feature dining areas and bars on both levels, with two bocce courts on the second floor. Owner Peter Coratti opened the original location in Howell in 2021 and a second in Ann Arbor.
Sheetz, the Pennsylvania-based 24-hour convenience store and gas station chain, won East Lansing City Council approval in February for a location at Saginaw Street and Abbot Road. Construction is expected to start this fall, with a tentative spring 2027 opening, according to senior account executive Christian Talley.
Gone before the school year
Savvy Sliders closed its East Lansing location at 235 Albert Ave. in June, less than a year after its September 2025 grand opening.
The space sits vacant.
Plans for Fat Boy's Pizza, a Louisiana-based brand Savvy Sliders acquired, to open next door never materialized either. Mark Wolok, vice president of business and franchise development, had told East Lansing Info in fall 2025 that Fat Boy's Pizza would open in early 2026. He declined to comment on why both concepts failed.
Of the restaurants still in progress, Pizzawala's has the nearest target: late September based on Pope's 30-day estimate. Sheetz's spring 2027 date is the furthest out.
