Lansing Breakfast Club continues to eat, grow

Early before sunrise Wednesday morning, Panera Bread in the Frandor Shopping Center was preparing for a day of business when two strangers in their mid-20s in business suits approached each other and one inquired, “Are you here for the Breakfast Club?”

Promoting itself as the “friendliest and hungriest” group in Lansing, the Lansing Breakfast Club held its weekly meeting Wednesday at 310 N. Clippert St. in Lansing .

The club started with six members, but 12 weeks and 11 different locations later, it has grown to about 51 members, said Justin Sailor, one of its founders.

Sailor said he moved back to Lansing four months ago for the first time since he graduated from MSU in 2006, and turned to his friend and co-worker Julie Becker for ideas for a club.

“I didn’t know a lot of people after I moved back,” Sailor said. “Julie e-mailed me back four suggestions, (Lansing Breakfast Club) being one of them. So we put it on Twitter.”

During the designated hour from 7-8 a.m., the club filled Panera’s tables, and numerous handshakes were exchanged as participants got to know each other.

“For me, it’s fun to see people I already know and meet some new ones, as well,” Lansing resident Suban Nur-Cooley said.

Students are able to exchange ideas and connect with professionals. It is about very informal networking, said Linda Lynch, a club member and Lansing resident.

The club has no age limit, but the group thinks young, international relations senior Dan Redford said.

“There are people that are (ages) 20 to 50 that are here,” said Justin Caine, a Lansing resident. “They want to be inspired. They want to bounce ideas off each other.”

The club called ahead to prepare Panera for its arrival, where the presence of members was appreciated, said Lisa Wend, assistant manager for Panera.

“They called ahead so everyone knew they were coming,” Wend said. “We added more people on staff. For me, it’s exciting to have the dining room this full this early in the morning. Having all these people in here and hearing everyone laughing just brings a warmth inside here.”

Customers in Panera who were not a part of the group said they were inspired by the club’s presence.

“This place is … usually pretty quiet,” said Bob Olsen, a resident of Dewitt. “And they have classical music playing in the background. This was not an interference at all, I feel a whole lot better. A good start to my day.”

The club is contagious, many of its members said. It’s also an event people look forward to, Sailor said.

“I look forward to Wednesdays more than I look forward to Saturdays,” he said. “We get back to the office and we’re buzzing for the rest of the day.”

Becker said she foresees having to split the group in the future due to its growing membership.

“I think it’s inevitable we would have to start one in Lansing and one in East Lansing,” she said. “But then I don’t want the students and the professionals to be divided, because that’s a huge factor in the beauty of (Lansing Breakfast Club), because it gives students an opportunity to get to know and network with Lansing-area professionals. That’s a huge component of our success, I think, because there (are) no boundaries.”

Students and residents don’t have to fit a certain criteria to come, and don’t have to pay, Becker said.

“Where can you have a laugh and grab a bagel at the same time?” Nur-Cooley said.

Those looking to join the club can find updates on Twitter or on Facebook, Sailor said.