FLINT, MI – When Steven Brewer took his family out for dinner one evening last year, he never expected the experience would change his life.
A longtime Flint resident, Brewer said he and his wife MacKenzie were sitting in a restaurant with their sons, Theus, 10, and Loki, 8, both of whom are level 3 nonverbal and on the autism spectrum.
As the boys made noises at the table, a person sitting behind them grew frustrated.
“Me and my wife went out for dinner one evening, a lady behind us said some pretty rude stuff and that’s what started this,” Brewer said. “Everybody started to be mean back to the lady and I told everybody that’s being a little bit of a hypocrite.”
Brewer said the woman admitted she was exhausted from work and upset with his sons’ behavior.
“She said it was selfish of me to allow my kids to act like that,” he said. “I took a step back and realized maybe I am selfish that I expect everyone else to deal with my children.”
The experience struck a chord.
Brewer, who once ran restaurants but hadn’t owned one in about 16 years, began searching for places across the country that catered to families with special needs children.
He couldn’t find a single one.
“It struck a fire inside of me,” he said. “So then I opened one.”
That spark led to the creation of 810 Munchies, a new restaurant inside the Dort Mall, located at 3600 S. Dort Hwy. in Flint.
The business opened in August, with the goal of being a judgment-free zone for families like Brewer’s.
“The kids make the rules here,” he said.
That philosophy plays out in the restaurant’s design and atmosphere.
Children are allowed to jump up and down, color on the long chalkboard wall, write on the windows and roam around as they please.
The space is filled with warm light and colorfully painted windows, but without televisions or blaring music that could overstimulate sensitive kids.
“The best part is you don’t have to deal with what I had to deal with,” Brewer said. “You don’t have to worry about someone saying why is your kid kicking the table. Those people will be asked to leave.”
Brewer even thought about details like lighting, using soft, diffused light rather than harsh fluorescents that can trigger anxiety for individuals with autism.
The menu also was designed with his children and others in mind.
It’s filled with familiar comfort foods such as chicken nuggets, chicken strips, French fries, peanut butter, and macaroni and cheese — the things his sons and other special needs kids love most.
At its heart, Brewer said, the restaurant is about respect and acceptance.
“Be a good human and respect people around you. Leave your judgements at the door,” he said. “I don’t know how it’s 2025 and no one has done this yet. To me, that hurts my heart.”
810 Munchies is open from 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and closed Sundays.
Follow 810 Munchies on Facebook.