Shuttered Como’s Asking For $4 Million for Prime Ferndale Location

Despite its many months of troubles stemming from health code violations, the Grego family-owned Como’s Restaurant in Ferndale are looking for a big payout on the property and placed it on the market for $4 million for its hot downtown Ferndale location, the Free Press first reported.

Citing an online real estate posting, the daily says the location — at Nine Mile and Woodward — is a prime spot for either residential development or “the next trendy/hip bar restaurant in Ferndale.” The property boasts a nearly 8,000-square-foot building and sprawling outdoor patio.

Furniture and restaurant equipment are also on the market in two online liquidation auctions. The first round of bidding on some 300 items including Como’s neon sign ends tonight, while a second round ends Jan. 11.

Under the Grego family ownership since 1961, Como’s closed in September after the Oakland County Health Division revoked its license in August. Trouble started at the pizzeria in 2015 when the restaurant’s liquor license was briefly suspended and again when it was forced to close last year because of a number of severe health code violations.

A chalkboard sign posted late last month, saying “Closed for good. Retired... still the best pizza. Thank you for 66 years” marked the permanent end to the Italian eatery.

The Freep says that according to tax experts, whoever buys the restaurant will have to deal with unpaid taxes.

Barry Hicks, executive director of the Ferndale Downtown Development Authority tells the paper that the city’s latest master land use plan calls for the property to be redeveloped as a “multistory, mixed-use building with office space or apartments,” adding that the ‘burb is already saturated with plenty of restaurants.

• Shuttered Como’s Wants $4M For Hot Ferndale Location [Freep]
• Como’s Calls It Quits For Good After Ongoing Health Inspection Closures [ED]
• Como’s Shuts Down for the Second Time Due to Health Code Violations [ED]
• Como’s Restaurant Is Once Again Facing Closure Due to Health Code Violations [ED]
• Ferndale Stalwart Como’s Shut Down for Health Code Violations [ED]
• All The Shutter Coverage [ED]