About » Our History
When Michael Crafaik opened Michael’s Bistro in 1994, he had a vision of bringing craft beer to the east coast and making hard cider available on tap. Michael’s vision put Michael’s Bistro ahead of the craft beer surge that has more recently swept the US. He did it first in Charlottesville and we think we still do it best. Our 10 taps constantly rotate and reflect the diversity, idiosyncrasy and cult nature of the beer world. We pride ourselves on getting in the beers that you “never” see on tap.
When Michael passed away in December of 2008, Laura Spetz took over as owner in the spring of the following year. As a long time friend of Michael Crafaik, and founding employee, Laura wanted to continue the Bistro in following with Michael’s vision and keep his memory alive.
Michael’s Bistro can also give credit to Matthew Lechmanski for its longevity and consistently praised comfort food. As a member of Michael’s Bistro culinary team for the past six years, and executive chef for the past three, Matt’s skill has allowed us to combine old-school Bistro favorites with the progressive challenges involved in cooking local. He continues to amaze us with new culinary delights and captivate us with his surly charm.
We would like to thank everyone who has helped Michael’s Bistro flourish over the past 18 years.
