It Takes Two to Brunch

Sisters opens in Traverse City

By Anna Faller | May 24, 2025

It was just over four years ago that Jenni Scott—a Traverse City native and longtime veteran of the local restaurant scene—in partnership with her sister Lisa, their parents, and Lisa’s husband, Matt Gaffy, purchased and planned to redevelop the historic downtown pub, Little Bohemia.

Together, the team reopened the space under its new identity, Lil Bo’s—a nod to both the pub’s past life and Jenni’s food trucks, Lil Betty’s and Betty’s Hot Dish—but with the same eclectic neighborhood vibe (and some truly craveable pickle-brined chicken!). Now, the trio has come full circle with the launch of a second restaurant, Sisters, which occupies the storefront adjacent and connected to Bo’s, which formerly housed Front Street Liquor.

“That first Record-Eagle article announcing the sale of Bo’s said, ‘sisters, Jenni and Lisa Scott’—so that was almost like foreshadowing of what we were going to do,” Lisa says.

Opened on May 1, Sisters combines classic brunch and lunch eats with a scratch kitchen and a sprinkling of modern flair. But for its namesake siblings, it’s about much more than food.

“We feel like this is a neighborhood place, and that focus on the locals is important to us. [We can’t wait] to feed them some breakfast and give them some Princess Mimosas!” adds Jenni.

Brunch & Lunch

As Jenni explains, Sisters’ day-dining concept was born at Bo’s more than two years ago when she launched a weekend brunch menu, featuring nostalgic eats like cereal flights and breakfast “bo-rritos,” which was an instant hit with the pub’s clientele. “It took off like wildfire!” Lisa notes.

The success that the event, called Saturday Morning Cartoons, garnered emphasized a growing need for more breakfast and lunch options in Traverse City, many of which have limited hours or incur lengthy wait times, especially on the west side of town.

So, when the opportunity to open the brunch spot of the sisters’ dreams arose (not to mention create some much-needed elbow room for Lil Bo’s tiny kitchen), the trio knew they had to bite.

“It was something we’d always talked about, and it felt like there was a void to fill,” Lisa says. “I think in our minds, we knew that if [this space] was ever available, we’d do brunch and lunch, and that’s what it became!”

Fresh & Nostalgic

Inside, the vibe is all warm woods and muted pastels anchored by retro design (think: mid-century inspired fixtures and art deco patterns), but with a few luxe and feminine touches that plant the space firmly in the 21st century. (Trust us when we say: Don’t miss the bathroom wallpaper!)

“We really wanted it to feel like you were sitting at mom’s kitchen table,” says Jenni. “I really like the retro feel of things, so we thought we’d capture some of that.”

A greasy spoon joint though, this is not. Instead, the team has infused the space with an air of modern elegance, headlined by lofty ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows, and a fluted bar top artfully curved at the behest of architect Lisa Feringa.

Throughout the elongated dining room, guests can choose from rows of custom tables or mustard mini-booths (each with its own pendant lamp). Meanwhile, two common tables are available for larger parties—both mounted on hydraulics—and at the back of the space, a geometric statement wall frames a banquette dotted with two-top seating.

“We didn’t want [Sisters] to feel like a diner, and I think we completed it with some really beautiful touches that make it feel a little more elevated,” Lisa says.

There’s a homey warmth to the space, which is accentuated by nods to influential women in the sisters’ lives throughout the décor.

A key player here is the pair’s paternal grandmother, Alice, whose photo sits on the mantle—her cooking is especially evident in Jenni’s food, Lisa notes—along with an array of vintage tchotchkes, from their mother’s giant yellow beer stein, to their grandmother’s 50’s patterned china, to a well-loved copy of Irma S. Rombauer’s The Joy of Cooking, which has seen decades of Scott family meals.

Another focal point is a photo collage, dubbed The Sister Wall, which depicts Jenni and Lisa at various ages, as well as other family members, staffers, and friends, spanning generations in celebration of the larger community that sisters share and the restaurant represents.

“We had time to think about what we wanted to do, so this feels really personal for us,” Lisa tells us.

Food & Drink

Those parallels also extend to the menu, which, per Jenni, features a combination of brunch and lunch classics with a modern twist.

The Number 17, for example—hashbrowns packed with bacon, American cheese, mushrooms, onions, peppers, and sour cream—is a nod to a stuffed hash brown recipe from Jenni’s earliest restaurant days at Mabel’s (now The Cottage). And the Crunchy Crispy French Toast, a cornflake-crusted brioche affair topped with strawberries and cinnamon butter, was plucked straight from Lil Bo’s best brunch hits.

“We’re also really well known for chicken tenders at Bo’s, so [items like] the Chicken and Waffles [transferred] pretty easily,” Jenni says.

There’s also a notable southern influence at play throughout the eatery’s flavors, which come from family summers spent in New Orleans. Plates like the Nola and Louisiana Hash, for instance, are packed with chiles and spicy sausage.

Other traditionally breakfast-y fare includes familiar favorites, like Eggs Benny and Corned Beef Hash, while a selection of sandwiches, like the particularly apropos Brunch Chick (ingredients: buttermilk fried chicken, praline bacon, white cheddar, greens, and jalapeno aioli on a potato bun) and a mix-and-match selection of homemade toasts, salads, and soups round out the lunch category.

Though licensing is still in the works, Sisters also has a brunch-ified beverage menu on deck, complete with beer and wine, curated NA options, like craft mocktails and Natalie’s juices, and vintage-inspired specialty cocktails. Highlights here include a few leveled-up favorites, like Bloody Marys tricked out with cheese curds and dilly beans and juiced up Mimosas, as well as frozen palomas, boozy shakes, and even a Dole Whip machine. Stay tuned!

Next & Always

Also on the Sisters immediate check list is finagling outside seating, ideally beneath the yellow and white stripes of their Grand Hotel-inspired awning, as is renting out the restaurant’s space for private events and evening catering services.

“We’ve found that there are a lot of people who want to rent Bo’s for private parties, but that would be a lot to shut down the entire bar for our regulars,” Jenni explains. The opportunity posed by a day-dining spot like Sisters, whose operation they implemented independently of Lil Bo’s, fills the void for that extra space while maintaining consistent business hours.

And they aren’t about to slow down now! From sponsored events, to clubs, collaborations and beyond, this sisterly team has countless ideas. In the meantime, they’re focused on continuing to feed our community, body and soul.

“We’re really grateful to the local community for supporting Lil Bo’s, and now Sisters,” Lisa says. “They’re the reason we exist, and it feels great to make those connections with our neighbors.”

Find Sisters at 542 W. Front St. in Traverse City. (231) 421-1296. sisterstvc.com