Ann Arbor restaurants buck recession

So there’s a recession going on? Don’t tell that to downtown Ann Arbor’s restaurants.Excerpt:Ann Arbor continues to attract new restaurants despite the economic recession and complaints – even from some restaurateurs – that there are too many eateries in town.The concentration of restaurants on and near Main Street creates a destination for out-of-towners, and the University of Michigan provides a stable and loyal base of customers. But restaurant owners said with the number of existing eateries in town, it’s crucial for new ones to find a niche and serve it well.For Ron Jeffries, owner and brewer at the Jolly Pumpkin brewery in Dexter who plans to open a café on South Main Street within two months, the niche is his award-winning beer and vegan and vegetarian food.He said he’d been looking for space in Ann Arbor for three years, but rents have only recently become affordable.Jeffries’ café will be in roughly 4,200 square feet where the Pepperz restaurant used to be, in a neighborhood home to more than 20 restaurants. But he said a restaurant row is more beneficial in bringing foot traffic than the competition is harmful to a single eatery.”There’s a lot to be said for having a restaurant in an area with a lot of other nice restaurants,” he said. “If you’re not, you really need to be a destination or a draw.”Read the rest of the story here.