The Union

History

The Union Cabaret and Grille opened in 2001 at 125 S. Kalamazoo Mall as the music room of the Millennium Restaurant Group. Co-founder Shelly Pastor said the stage, the baby grand, and the design were a collaboration with Western Michigan University and developer Meyer C. Weiner. For nearly two decades the club booked jazz, rock, blues, and jam sessions, much of it by WMU students, faculty, and alumni. It closed permanently in early November 2020, with the owners citing pandemic restrictions.