It was just about two years ago when Dan Para found himself becoming a restaurant owner in Sister Lakes, rather than working on his semi-retirement as a successful Chicago-based investor and business consultant. Para stepped in to buy the Timberline Inn—Southwest Michigan’s second oldest fine dining restaurant—rather than see it close when the longtime owners decided to retire as the world emerged from the pandemic in 2023.
Para’s words to MoodyOnTheMarket.com at the time, “Someone needed to do this.” So, he did. Para essentially spoke for the Sister Lakes neighborhood… then put his money where his mouth was! He has operated the restaurant with a loyal and veteran staff ever since.
And now, Para is happily announcing that a couple who wanted to buy Timberline two years ago will now be able to do that—and Dan can resume his semi-retirement in the neighborhood. It’s the kind of ‘everybody wins’ business news story that we love to report at MoodyOnTheMarket.com.
The new owners are Matt and Haley Lowe, who pledge to lovingly maintain all the things that make Timberline unique and have kept it going for 86 years. (Only Tosi’s in Stevensville has been around longer, by just a few months.) It is probably the closest thing to a traditional Midwest Supper Club experience to be found in Southwest Michigan.
Timberline is located on Indian Lake, just North of M-62, between Eau Claire and Dowagiac. As the seasonal traffic picks up, reservations are recommended. Timberline is open Wednesday thru Saturday evenings.
269-782-6362 or www.Timberline-Inn.com
By Gayle Olson, MOTM Contributor
