The Former Light’s Restaurant in Lansing: 1940s-1980s

One thing I enjoy doing is bringing attention to forgotten places throughout Michigan – places of all kinds: towns, roadside stops, etc....... and restaurants. This time around features the former Light’s Restaurant that was once located at 2005 North Larch Street in Lansing.

Although that particular site is now empty, the Domino’s Pizza right next door is listed on maps as 2005 N. Larch, which means they must have adopted the street number after the former Light’s Restaurant was razed.

Light’s Restaurant originated in the 1940s as the M&J (Mildred & Jim Light) Malted Shop. It was one of those 1940 malt shops that you read about in Archie Comics and was frequented by bobbysoxers during the 1940s. Teens during post-World War II hung out here and enjoyed life without the mental pressure of the now-finished war.

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By the 1950s Mildred and Jim re-named the place as Light's Restaurant and operations continued for a good number of years.

These days, most locals remember this place when it was one of the Theio’s Restaurant locations. It lasted as Theio’s from the 1980s until the 2000s, then it underwent another name change...now it was known as Lee Buffet.

All good things have to come to an end, but this place ended too soon. Lee Buffet closed up and the building was demolished in 2008. It is now a parking lot.

Scroll down to the gallery below for a few images of Light’s Restaurant.