History

Magnum Hospitality came to be in 1997, when Mary Palmer and Fred “Magnum” Moore teamed up to open the original Red Mesa Grill in Boyne City, Michigan. They started with good supplies of Work Ethic, Experience, Commitment to Quality, Family Support, Sense of Humor, and A Slight Irreverence. Note that “Scads of Cash” was not among their supplies. It took the entire extended Palmer family's showing up in Boyne City and helping to gut, clean and re-outfit the former Woody’s Pizza building to make it happen. Carpenters were still finishing the bar the afternoon of the grand opening. Fred was so relaxed he almost threw up.

Even prior to the opening in Boyne City, Jim Cartwright had begun grousing at Fred and Mary’s feet all the while muttering “Help me Mr. Wizard!” He was encouraged to find a suitable location for a second restaurant, which he did in a matter of weeks. When Jim proudly showed his wife the run-down roadhouse that he intended to risk their financial future on, she cried.

Pearl's New Orleans Kitchen opened 8 months later (May 1998) in the village of Elk Rapids.  After introducing Latin cuisine in one small northern Michigan community, MH had now rolled out Cajun/Creole fare in another.  We can still recall the sincere concern of all those who went out of their way at the time to ask us “What are you, NUTS??!!”

After fishing around northern Michigan for several years, MH returned to its roots in the city where the trio met, opening a 2nd Red Mesa Grill in Traverse City in November of 2004.

Just to keep things interesting, a new concept is currently in the development stages.  "Development Stages" means that Fred and Mary got to go to Europe to do "research".  Magnum Hospitality is targeting a June 2010 opening on the waterfront in Boyne City.  Updates will be available in the coming months in the "News" section of this web site.