Mel&Fell do the cooking so you don’t have to! 

Mel&Fell, aka Melanie & Tim, started their northern Michigan-based catering business in 2018, but their food industry experience goes way back. Both Tim and Melanie have spent years working in restaurants, and their journey together began–where else?–in the kitchen!

How They Met

The duo met in 2003 when Melanie started a new job at the Beverly Hills Grill in Metro Detroit. She was introduced to a quiet and promising cook, Tim, who was known by all as “Big Fella,” and it wasn’t long before Mel and the Big Fella started dating. Mel was impressed by Big Fella’s skills in the kitchen, as well as his collection of old movies. Tim thought Mel was just the coolest. Before too long they were engaged and, after spending time together at Mel’s family cabin in Empire, Michigan, it seemed only natural to get married overlooking the beautiful Sleeping Bear Dunes. They were married in 2005. 

Mel & Big Fella continued working at “The Grill,” with Tim creating the menus and Melanie curating the atmosphere. In 2007, under their leadership, The Beverly Hills Grill was named Restaurant of the Year by The Detroit Free Press. The award brought on a tidal wave of guests from all over the country, giving the couple the opportunity to grow even more. By this point, the couple’s closeness resulted in coworkers, regulars, and even family members referring to them as a single entity: Mel&Fell.

Moving Up North 

While still working in Metro Detroit, they continued their excursions up north - to Empire and Traverse City, and all of the beauty in between. In 2010 they decided to make the leap by selling their house downstate and moving permanently to Traverse City. They were quickly hired at two of the best restaurants in the city. Tim resumed cheffing at Amical and found a greater appreciation of hyper-local ingredients and focused seasonal food. Mel took a front-of-the-house position at Trattoria Stella, a lucrative position that supported her dream of becoming a Master Gardener. Mel now holds a degree in landscape horticulture from Oakland Community College, as well as a Master Garden Certificate from Michigan State University’s Extension Program.

With all of their education, experience, and expertise in the garden and kitchen, Mel&Fell stood perfectly poised to offer flavor, sustainability, and nutrition to the people of Traverse City and its surrounding areas. In 2017, they moved 30 minutes west of Traverse City to the lakeside village of Empire, a rural community known by its proximity to Lake Michigan and the Sleeping Bear Dunes. With the move came a newfound realization of the gaps in the local food economy. They specifically saw the need for access to healthy, prepared foods, and worked to find a way to meet this need. 

Launching Mel&Fell

In 2018, they began sharing to-go meals at the local festivals and offered catering for local events. In 2019, they regularly sold to-go food out of the Blue Heron Mercantile in Empire. In 2020, as the world entered a pandemic, the need for healthy delivery food reached an all-time high for their rural community. Armed with the support of their neighbors, Mel&Fell began offering weekly meal deliveries. Their first delivery was for just a handful of clients in Empire; within a year they had grown the meal delivery service to include 40+ weekly clients throughout Leelanau, Benzie, and Grand Traverse Counties. 

Their goal has always been to connect people to food, and they feel privileged to do so in a place with such a rich agricultural network. Mel&Fell strive to connect people not only to good meals but to the farmers who grew their food as well. 

When you hire Mel&Fell to cater your event or to deliver a meal to your doorstep, you are joining in the close-knit food economy of northern Michigan. Thanks for keeping it local.