Martha’s sold; no changes planned

Martha Ryan and her iconic beret will no longer be greeting guests at the restaurant that bears her name.

Martha’s Leelanau Table in Suttons Bay has been sold to a married couple who grew up in suburban Detroit and now live much of the year in Fairfax County, Virginia.

“We will continue Martha’s the way it has been for years,” said Justin Messer, who with his wife, Bethany, purchased the restaurant from Ryan and her coowners Bruce and Judy Balas. “We want to give it a shot to keep Martha’s as a unique thing in Suttons Bay.”