By Megan Kelley

Reivew Writer

It’s been several rough months for businesses in the community, but while many struggle to keep their doors open, some find themselves opening new ones.

Owners of Darrel’s Steak and Seafood, Darrel and Kathy Sanrope, opened their doors in early December in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic after purchasing the property that had previously housed Kruse & Muer.

“This year has been tough for many, and while dealing with COVID-19 and the road construction in Lake Orion, we were presented with an opportunity to sell this property to a longtime former team member, Darrel Sanrope and his wife, Kathy,” Kruse & Muer owners Bill, Alex and Casey Kruse said in the joint statement on Oct. 14.

“During his tenure with Kruse & Muer as the Director of Kitchen Operations, Darrel proved to have the food knowledge, attention to detail and professional manner it takes to be a successful restauranteur.”

Darrel’s Steak and Seafood had been a restaurant and banquet hall in Kimball Township up until recently.

“We were doing fine but we didn’t know how long the pandemic was going to last…half of it was banquet hall so it just didn’t make sense to stay there,” Kathy said. “Then this opportunity came up and we knew Lake Orion was a good town.”

Darrel and Kathy come with impressive credentials and experience that allow their restaurant to offer a vast array of menu items that have not been passed through a corporate processor.

Darrel himself had previously held the position of Director of Kitchen Operations at Kruse and Muer for many years, while Kathy has completed culinary school for advanced pastry and makes all of the desserts in-house.

“All of our stuff is fresh, made in-house,” Kathy said. “It’s taken us years and years to develop these recipes and some of them are family recipes. We want service to be one of our top things.”

The aptly named restaurant features a menu mostly centered around steak and seafood, as well as chicken and pork dishes, pastas and a full bar.

Because of executive orders put in place by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Darrel’s Steak and Seafood, like most other restaurants, are operating through take-out only.

“We’re just looking forward to being open and being able to serve the community,” Kathy said. “I’m really excited about being in this area.”

Darrel’s Steak and Seafood is located at 801 S. Lapeer Rd. and are open for carry-out only from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.