Chef James’ Hives

Chef James Rigato, Owner of Mabel Gray

Chef James Rigato’s Mabel Gray in Hazel Park is a nationally acclaimed restaurant serving inventive, locally sourced cuisine. A James Beard semifinalist and “Top Chef” alum, Rigato emphasizes seasonality, sustainability, and community. His rotating menus feature Michigan produce, wild-foraged ingredients, and whole-animal cooking. Mabel Gray is more than a restaurant—it’s a model of culinary excellence rooted in environmental care, local partnerships, and regenerative food systems.

From a biodynamic beekeeping view, installing a honeybee colony in Hazel Park, MI was appealing due to plentiful small gardens and urban blooms. Hazel Park has no known restrictive ordinance on hosting honeybee colonies. Challenges include limited forage diversity, dense residential plots, public misconceptions, and concerns about urban safety or nuisance in this inner‑ring Detroit suburb. James Rigato’s property is an oasis of native plants and plenty of flowering edible plants, often used in his restaurant, Mabel Gray.

Chef James Rigato & Sam Stanisz

Mabel Gray

“We have been working with Brad from Urban Bee LLC since 2018. First by installing a hive on the roof of our restaurant, Mabel Gray, then eventually moving the hive to our yard at home, which at the time was a lot of grass and a few flowers. The first year having the honeybees in our yard inspired us to get rid of almost all the grass and add fruit trees, berries, herbs, native plants and a hoop house & raised beds for vegetables. With the help of all the pollinators, our growing space has only expanded since then. Brad has been incredible throughout this time. He brings an element of convenience to this experience with his knowledge of bees and taking care of all the heavy lifting involved with having a hive. The service that Urban Bee provides has added so much value to our lives, I couldn’t recommend it enough.”

Chef James’ Hives

If you love bees, let's create a friendly place for them together