Making delicious food and happy memories since 1980
Clarence “Dusty” Rhodes opened a bakery in the Meridian Mall in 1980. Just a year or two later, the shop relocated to its current location on Grand River Avenue and began selling cookware, wine and other specialty foods. Dusty’s Cellar added on the Wine Bar in 1987.
All five of Dusty’s children worked with him before moving on to careers of their own. His son Matt purchased the Cellar and Wine Bar in 1995 and expanded to include the Tap Room in 2002.
Today, Dusty’s Cellar employs numerous staff including third generation family members.
a local story with international inspiration
Long before he founded Dusty’s Cellar in 1980, Dusty Rhodes had a very successful career in broadcast news including several years of announcing sports for his alma mater, Michigan State University, both on-air and at Spartan Stadium. Dusty’s career evolved to include television, newspaper and international television news when he was named president of United Press International Television News (UPITN) in London.
In this role, Dusty traveled the globe and expanded UPITN to serve 120 clients in over 70 countries. He is credited with establishing the first daily international satellite news transmission.
Upon retirement from TV news, Dusty returned to his hometown, Okemos Michigan. With a new appreciation of international wine and cuisine, he founded a series of businesses starting in 1980 with a bakery in the Meridian Mall called Elysee Boulangerie, then Dusty’s Cellar in 1981, Dusty’s Wine Bar in 1987 and Dusty’s English Inn 1990.