Eastpointe's Easy Street Saloon offers autoworkers $1 burgers and beers

As the General Motors' strike rolls into its third week, workers on the picket lines certainly aren't on easy street. 

Easy Street Saloon is here for them, though. The new Eastpointe bar and restaurant will offer all United Autoworkers Employees, not just those on strike, an affordable burger and a beer. 

Starting Wednesday and lasting until the strike is over, Easy Street will sell a quarter pound burger with American cheese for $1 to any UAW employee who shows their card or badge when ordering. They can also get a soda or Miller High Life draft beer for $1. 

General manager Josh Cohen says there's no limit to how many $1 burgers they will serve to a family of an autoworker in need. 

"What I imagine happening is people will be coming in and bringing their families and ordering a ton of burgers and feeding inexpensively and walking out really happy," he said.  

The saloon, which is just one town over from the General Motors Tech Center in Warren, opened in July. Cohen says that while many customers work for GM, the restaurant hasn't seen a dip in sales since the strike started. 

"Easy Street is part of this community," said Cohen. "There's so many striking people and we just want to be part of this and we think this is the least we can do for our community. We want to show people that they've got a home away from home." 

Cohen said, in general, the new pub is trying to be competitive as they grow a customer base, having just opened a few months ago.

Easy Street Saloon has a weekday lunch special with meals that include fries and a beer or pop for under $6, including rib tips, chicken fingers, smoked meatballs and a 1/3-pound burger. This special is good 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays. 

Since opening over the summer, the community's response to the saloon, which he said was a former biker bar, has been positive and it's been home to a lot of birthday parties and other gatherings. 

Easy Street Saloon, open daily for lunch and dinner, is at 16101 E. 10 Mile in Eastpointe. 

More:GM strike, day 16: 6,000 laid off in Mexico; losses won't be recouped this year

More:Emagine Entertainment offers $5 movie tickets for striking UAW workers

More:New Eastpointe restaurant Easy Street Saloon officially opens

mbaetens@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @melodybaetens