4 Recent Metro Detroit Restaurant and Bar Closures to Know

Welcome to The Shutter, a regularly updated roundup of Detroit and metro Detroit’s restaurant closures.

December 3

WESTLAND — The metro Detroit outpost of popular beer bar Ashley’s Beer and Grill has shuttered, the Detroit Free Press reports. The pub known for its extensive beer selection and beer festivals operated in the city for 12 years. The restaurant closed its doors on Saturday, November 30 due to a disagreement over maintenance and rent prices with the building landlord, per an announcement on Facebook.

ROYAL OAK — Bd’s Mongolian Grill in downtown Royal Oak is closed. The stir-fry chain will continue to operate its other nearby locations in Dearborn, Sterling Heights, and Novi, but served its final meal at 430 S. Main St. on Sunday, December 1, according to a Facebook post.

CASS CORRIDOR — Wayne State-area coffee shop the Bottom Line has been since September due to plumbing issues with its building. The shop experienced some interior damage as a result and is currently in the process of cleaning up. It’s expected to reopen sometime in December.

CLAWSON — After 10 years in downtown Clawson, Vietnamese restaurant Đà Nẵng has closed its doors permanently. The shutter was confirmed by the Clawson Downtown Development Association.

November 4

EASTERN MARKET — Both Gather and Cøllect closed on October 10 as co-founders Kyle and Lea Hunt sold the businesses to focus their family and downtown ice cream stand, Huddle. The new owner has yet to be announced and it’s unclear when the businesses will reopen, though Kyle Hunt told Eater the business are “definitely not closing.”

CLAWSON — After 13 years brewing in downtown Clawson, Black Lotus Brewing Company closed permanently on October 30. Sources familiar with the brewery confirmed that the business was for sale in September. Black Lotus had two state liens against it for back taxes.

CASS CORRIDOR — Founders Brewing Company’s Detroit taproom remains closed indefinitely, following nearly two weeks of backlash from a racial discrimination lawsuit. The brewery confirmed on Thursday, October 31 that the lawsuit was settled for an undisclosed amount. In a statement to Eater, Founders owners say they are “currently evaluating the situation with hopes to open the Detroit taproom as soon as possible.”

TROY — Nearly a year and a half after taking over the former Tre Monte Ristorante space in Troy, Cantoro Italian Trattoria has shuttered. A rep for the restaurant attributed the closure to poor location, staffing issues, and a sluggish lunch service. Cantoro’s owners plan to focus on expanding the Plymouth restaurant.

DOWNTOWN — Lucky’s Noble BBQ at Fort Street Galley has transitioned into a ghost kitchen. The food stall was quickly replaced by chef Phill Milton’s chicken-centric food stall Which Came First.

October 7

GRANDMONT-ROSEDALE — Chef Maxcel Hardy closed the doors at River Bistro in September due to low foot traffic and challenges stemming from road construction. He continues to operate Coop at Detroit Shipping Company.

SPRINGWELLS — Vince’s Italian Restaurant in Springwells has been closed since late summer. Signs on the doors of the 50-year-old restaurant as well as a newly updated voicemail message indicate the closure is temporary. Eater left messages with the business inquiring about the status of the restaurant. Rumors online suggest the restaurant may reopen by the end of the year. Stay tuned.

FERNDALE — Chicago-style pizza shop MiChicago Pizza shuttered in downtown Ferndale at the end of September after nine years on the Nine Mile strip, Daily Detroit reported.

FERNDALE — MC ‘Wiches also moved on from Nine Mile after just over two years of slinging sandwiches at the location.

GREEKTOWN — After less than two months in business, Friend and Associate’s owners have scrapped the restaurant and plan to rebrand it as part of clubby rooftop lounge Delmar.

RIVERTOWN WAREHOUSE DISTRICT — The International House of Pancakes on East Jefferson Avenue has permanently closed following the expiration of its lease. The IHOP was originally established in 1994 after the property owner struggled for years to find a business to develop on the site and at one point had the highest sales of all the chain’s Midwest locations.

LAKE ORION — The spinoff outpost of Lockhart’s BBQ has closed in Lake Orion after more than three years of business. The restaurant is expected to rebrand and open as a new concept, according to Lockhart’s Facebook post. The Royal Oak location will continue to carve Texas-style barbecue as usual.

September 18

EASTERN MARKET — After 30 years in Eastern Market, Russell Street Deli closed its doors on August 31. The neighborhood favorite left after a public dispute with landlord Sanford Nelson over property repairs. As a parting gift and a commentary on gentrification in Eastern Market, owner Ben Hall placed neon signs in the window on the final day of business reading “30 Years and 20 Jobs Down the Drain” and “Where Have All the Good Times Gone?”

BERKLEY — Patrick J’s Irish Pub has closed in downtown Berkley, Crain’s reports. The restaurant on 12 Mile Road opened in 2015.

TROY — One of the area’s most beloved Chinese restaurants Kim’s Restaurant closed its doors in Troy. Following the announcement, the restaurant received a rush of customers in its final weeks.

HAZEL PARK — Popular mead, beer, and cider taproom Cellarmen’s bid farewell to John R. Road in July due to issues with the building’s landlord.

SHERWOOD FOREST — Popular Avenue of Fashion restaurant Kuzzo’s Chicken & Waffles temporarily closed for renovations on July 16. The renovation timeline was accelerated in part due to major construction along Livernois that caused traffic in the business district to take a nosedive.

FARMINGTON HILLS — Ginopolis restaurant in Farmington Hills closed in mid-August after nearly 40 years. The restaurant’s ribs were known for attracting celebrities including Elizabeth Taylor and Frank Sinatra. The family is now planning to open a barbecue restaurant elsewhere in the region.

WYANDOTTE — The decades-old Chene Adele Bar shut its doors in Wyandotte on August 3.

CLAWSON — After 31 years in Clawson, Moose Winooski’s closed its doors in Clawson in August. The owners retired and sold the building.

NORTHVILLE — Brann’s Steakhouse on Six Mile closed on Saturday, September 7, Hometown Life reports. Road construction, increased competition, and expensive equipment repairs ultimately contributed to the 15-year-old restaurant’s shutter.

July 8

CORKTOWN — Eater Award-winning cafe-market combo the Farmer’s Hand closed ahead of schedule on June 30 after a little over two and a half years in its current space. The shop is making way for a new wine bar and restaurant called Mink and will resurface sometime in the next two to three years in a larger building nearby. In the meantime, the Farmer’s Hand is popping up as a farm stand from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays from July 6 through August 24.

HAZEL PARK — Carry-out restaurant Two Guys From Italy on John R. Road has closed, Crain’s reports. The restaurant owners stated in a message on Facebook that they had retired. A second location in Royal Oak will remain open.

DOWNTOWN — Giordano’s dipped out of downtown Detroit after less than two years. The Chicago deep-dish pizza chain said the decision to close was determined by the franchise owner.

WOODBRIDGE — Six months after opening in Woodbridge, Japanese izakaya Katsu Detroit has shut down. Minority partner Joshua Chiatovich cited financial issues and challenges with management of the business as major factors that led to the closing.

CASS CORRIDOR — Third Street Bar’s former late-night food spot Nack’s closed down in May. The restaurant resided at the bar for about a year and a half serving fancy sliders.

EASTERN MARKET — Popular vegan soft serve stand Cold Truth was forced to close in Eastern Market due to a licensing issue with the city. The pop-up plans to reopen soon in a new, permanent space near Tou & Mai in Cass Corridor.

CASS CORRIDOR — Maya’s Indo-Pak has temporarily closed in its former location on 2nd Avenue, a tipster tells Eater. The restaurant is in the process of relocating to Woodward Avenue with an estimated opening date of August 12, according to Yelp.

MELVINDALE — After nearly 65 years of business, Mel Bar in Melvindale closed on June 22, according to the Detroit Free Press.

BIRMINGHAM — Cameron’s Steakhouse in Birmingham closed permanently on June 16 after 18 years in the building, Downtown Publications reports. The restaurant follows its sister business Mitchell’s Fish Market, which closed in January 2018.

PONTIAC — El Patron Mexican Grill bid farewell to customers on June 30 after six years of business.

FERNDALE — Axle Brewing Company close down its beer hall and brewing operations on June 30 citing profitability issues and the “very lean margins on the distribution side of our business.”

DOWNTOWN — Allenby, an Israeli-influenced sandwich stall, closed its doors at Fort Street Galley on Jun 29 just a little over six months after debuting in Detroit. The owner’s stated that the food hall wasn’t getting enough customer traffic to support all the restaurants. Michigan & Trumbull, a Detroit-style pizza restaurant, will temporarily pop-up in the space.

May 6

ROCHESTER HILLS — Wildly popular metro Detroit poke shop Sushi Coup bid farewell to Rochester Hills on Friday, May 3. The restaurant originally opened in October 2016 serving poke bowls — a rare option in the metro Detroit area that was even rarer at the time — as well as Korean fried chicken and soft serve ice cream. The restaurant was widely mourned on social media, but there appears to be hope of a revival. “Rest assured, we’re closing, but not gone,” the owners write in a post to Facebook. “Please stay tuned for updates about our future and things to come!”

MIDTOWN — Creperie and cafe Le Petit Zinc abruptly closed its doors over Easter weekend, a little more than a year after it relocated to Midtown. In the closing announcement, the restaurant’s team wrote that “Le Petit has exciting changes in the making.” That suggests that LPZ may reemerge elsewhere. Owner Karima Sorel did not respond to requests for comment on the future of the business.

DOWNTOWN — Downtown Detroit food hall Fort Street Galley has severed ties with one of its four food stalls. Chef Mike Han’s well-received Korean sushi spot Pursue had its contract cancelled due to low sales. Han told Eater that he was given an action plan by the company, which involved introducing different menu items to boost traffic to his restaurant; however, the chef declined the proposal. The restaurant closed down on Wednesday, May 1. A new restaurant will be selected to fill the space in the next month or so, according to the Galley Group.

DOWNTOWN — A tipster tells Eater that Detroit Seafood Market has closed. The restaurant, whose number has been disconnected, appears to have shut its doors without an announcement in fall 2018.

April 15

EASTERN MARKET — It’s lights out for six-year-old ice cream shop Mootown Creamery. The company changed owners in 2017 and reopened after a brief hiatus. However, current operator Megan Lewis of DeVries & Co. 1887 decided to pull the plug on the seasonal venture on March 29, Crain’s reports. Lewis stated that the closure had nothing to do with the building’s new ownership, which has reportedly been buying up and raising rents at properties throughout the popular market district. With any luck, soft serve ice cream spot Cold Truth will return to the Eastern Market area this summer and keep the neighborhood’s ice cream drought at bay.

MIDTOWN — Sweet Lorraine’s Fabulous Mac ‘N Brewz has departed from the Wayne State campus area. Although social media posts say the restaurant is only “temporarily closed,” there’s currently a “For Lease” sign at the property suggesting that it is indeed a permanent closure.

EASTERN MARKET — Beau Bien Fine Foods has pivoted from a dedicated tasting room/storefront to into a retail shop for local gift box creator Mitten Crate. The popular local jam maker will continue to operate its production out of the Eastern Market property and now offers its products alongside the other local purveyors sold through Mitten Crate. In essence, customers can still get the Beau Bien Fine Foods experience but in a slightly different format.

ROYAL OAK — Main Street hangout for hot and cold drinks Bean and Leaf Cafe shuttered in early April citing rising rents. The owners hope to reopen in a different location within Royal Oak.

March 29

DOWNTOWN — Another longtime restaurant tenant vacated the base of the Ford Building in downtown Detroit’s Financial District this month. Restaurant franchise Mr. Pita and Papa Romano’s Pizza shuttered this month, according the Deadline Detroit. Owner Bahaa Romaya attributed the closures a downturn in business during building renovations. The business was also unable to secure a new lease, echoing the experiences of other former Ford Building tenants including the Green Room. The property was purchased by emerging downtown developers Zaid Elia and Matthew Shiffman in 2017.

March 8

NEW CENTER — New Center Eatery closed its doors at 3100 W Grand Blvd. in Detroit with little notice this winter. Fortunately for fans of the restaurant’s chicken and waffles, the closure is only temporary. Tipsters tell Eater the restaurant has been closed for several weeks and workers in the vicinity of the restaurant say the business has not opened since December. The restaurant’s phones have also been disconnected.

Staff at New Center Eatery’s sister restaurant Sweet Magnolia’s in Southfield confirm that the establishment is in the process of relocating. Owner Johnny Cannon was not immediately available to provide comment on the timeline for the reopening. Cannon received funding from they city’s small business program Motor City Match in 2017 to relocate to a new space on Woodward Avenue next to home goods store Urbanum.

DOWNTOWN — Small Plates, a favorite restaurant for visitors to the Detroit Opera House, has shuttered. The restaurant’s lease ended on December 7, 2018, according to landlord Bedrock. “We have not yet finalized or announced plans for the future of that space,” a spokesperson for Bedrock wrote in an email to Eater regarding the 1521 Broadway St. vacancy.

The tapas-style restaurant had operated for more than 10 years in downtown Detroit and at one point had several locations. “We’re excited to announce that we’re moving,” a message on the restaurant’s website previously read. “We’ve got big plans in the works but we aren’t going far.” The website appears to have shutdown within the last several days.

EASTERN MARKET — Farmers Restaurant abruptly shuttered this week following the sale of its building to landlord Sandford Nelson. The owners family declined to comment on the circumstances of the closure to Crain’s except to confirm that “the owners have retired.”

January 28

DOWNTOWN — Drive Table Tennis Social Club hosted its final party at its downtown Detroit address on Sunday, January 27. The ping pong bar located at 645 Griswold St. opened six years ago and underwent an extensive renovation in 2017. The bar hopes to relocate, per social media posts. Eater has reached out to the company for more details.

ROCHESTER — Mr. B’s Food & Spirits in Rochester closed permanently on January 5 to make way for a new business called City Tavern Kitchen and Bar, according to Crain’s. City Tavern is anticipated to open in March. Mr. B’s opened in Rochester in 1976 and was a staple in the city’s downtown area.

ROYAL OAK — It appears that Royal Oak’s booze-free Taco Bell Cantina shuttered this fall. The restaurant had failed to acquire liquor licensing approval from the city in 2018, which seemed to seal its fate.

FERNDALE — (UPDATE: This location has reopened with a new menu.) Treat Dreams in Ferndale temporarily closed for renovations as the ice cream mainstay joins forces with D’Vine Cookies. The updated dessert cafe called Treat Dreams Dessert Emporium will debut in the spring.

MEXICANTOWN — Following a slow winding down of operations, quasi-local distillery Our/Detroit Vodka officially called it quits at the close of 2019.

NOVI — Japanese pastry shop Pastry House Hippo transferred ownership to a new bakery operation at the end of 2018. The bakery operated for 21 years and was a mainstay in the community. It’s replacement Moose Pastry & Tea appears to be carrying on the tradition of making adorable animal-shaped buns and hot dog rolls.

BIRMINGHAM — Iconic French pastry maker Le Petit Prince bid adieu to Birmingham in late-December after a 40-year run. The owners had previously announced plans to retire and sell the business.

ROYAL OAK — After 19 years throwing dance parties in Royal Oak, the Luna Nightclub abruptly shuttered without notice in December.

FERNDALE — Chef Matt Baldridge’s two-year-old restaurant and bar the Conserva bid farewell to its pint-sized space on December 22 with a farewell party.

DOWNTOWN — Town Pump Tavern closed on January 12 with plans to relocate to Centaur Bar’s vacated space at 2233 Park Ave. The Town Pump is expected to reopen later this year.

DOWNTOWN — Detroiters said so long to the Campus Martius area’s Hard Rock Cafe on January 26. The restaurant’s memorabilia will go into storage.

RIVERTOWN WAREHOUSE DISTRICT — Following a year and a half at 225 Jos Campau, Ashe Supply Co closed down its second location citing a lack of foot traffic. The cafe continues to operate on Broadway in downtown Detroit.

DOWNTOWN — Hockey-centric pub Cheli’s Chili Bar departed from the arena district in November and the building has since sold to the Ilitch family.

FERNDALE — Beer store 8 Degrees Plato consolidated its operations in December by closing down the original Ferndale location. The Detroit bar and bottle shop continues to operate on Cass Avenue.

ROYAL OAK — Beirut Palace sold its Royal Oak restaurant to a new business in mid-October, citing ongoing issues with parking in the city.

DOWNTOWN — A longtime sandwich shop with a colorful facade, Wala Urban quietly departed from downtown Detroit’s dining scene in early fall.

GREEKTOWN — Santorini Estiatorio shuttered in the fall. The restaurant, as well as New Parthenon, is undergoing a major renovation under the stewardship of the Papas family who own Pegasus Taverna.

• All Closings Coverage [ED]