Phillis Engelbert

Phillis Engelbert is the owner of three vegan establishments in Ann Arbor: Detroit Street Filling Station, The Lunch Room Bakery & Café, and North Star Lounge, all known for their joyful and inclusive communities. She also serves on the board of Dawn Farm addiction treatment organization.

Prior to becoming a vegan foodie and restaurateur, Phillis worked for 25 years as a community organizer, writer, and nonprofit administrator. Phillis cut her activist teeth as a student organizer at the University of Michigan in the 1980s. Over the next 25 years, she coordinated a national anti-war march, worked as a union organizer, and authored several science and social science reference volumes. In the early 2000’s, she was a founder and the first executive director of Michigan Peaceworks.

After decades of nonprofit and advocacy work, Phillis took a sabbatical and started hosting backyard vegan dinners with neighbors. These gatherings blossomed into pop-ups and, eventually, her thriving restaurants. Phillis also uses her restaurants as platforms for social justice and second chances. She has provided employment to more than 150 individuals in recovery from addiction and co-founded the Youth Justice Fund to support young people impacted by incarceration. Her work continues to center in growth, change, empowerment, and community building on individual and societal levels.