The Root Cancels Plans For Second Location In Howell

This morning The Root restaurant in White Lake made an announcement via Facebook that they will no longer be opening a second location in Howell.

Dear Root Fans, Colleagues, Customers and Friends,
We are writing this to let you all know that the decision has been made to cancel our plans of opening a second location in Howell. This was very hard for us to make. However, the growth and expansion of owner Ed Mamou's recycling business has obligated a channeling of resources and time into other directions. Many of you know Howell is the hometown of Chef James and like many staff members at The Root he was excited to spread the reach of The Root's cuisine to his own 'roots'.

The lengthy post continues;

We are sorry for any disappointment this brings. We will continue to pursue the finest indigenous cuisine Michigan has to offer, here in White Lake. Through our volunteer and charity work, our theme dinners, chef to farmer connections and culinary travels we will continue to wave the Michigan flag and elevate the standards of dining for our wonderful home state. We will also continue to raise the level of expectation at The Root restaurant as a destination and neighborhood restaurant. Thank you for your support and understanding.
Sincerely,
Ed, James & The Root Team.

Owner Ed Mamou had purchased the downtown Howell Theater building back in March with the intention of turning it into a destination restaurant, much like The Root has become for White Lake. Howell is chef James Rigato's hometown and he grew up within sight of the theater and expressed excitement about the opportunity to create a sister-restaurant for The Root, "Howell is really a beautiful town. It's picturesque and has a lot of history. I'm so excited to be able to turn it into something special."

Mamou was leasing the space to the theater operator while they worked out design plans, but no word yet on what will happen to the theater in the months and years to come.
· The Root Official Page [Facebook]
· Award-winning Root eatery purchases downtown Howell Theater [Official Site]
· All Coverage of The Root [-ED-]