The Detroit area restaurants that have closed in 2022

By Metro Times editorial staff on Fri, Dec 16, 2022 at 11:55 am

It seems the local dining industry is finally bouncing back after the harsh take down it suffered during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

We saw the loss of a lot of restaurants in 2020 and 2021, but for some, scraping by became more challenging as certain costs continued to rise.

Some restaurant owners saw fit to retire, others decided to sell their businesses.

Here's the restaurants that have closed in 2022.

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Christian Harder

Karl’s

1509 Broadway St., Detroit

Popular brunch spot Karl’s announced its closure on social media in November. The restaurant had been operating inside the Siren Hotel for three years and was known for its retro vibes, including a vintage Wurlitzer jukebox.

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Bridget Ekis

Traffic Jam & Snug

511 W. Canfield St., Detroit

Traffic Jam & Snug had serviced the Midtown neighborhood for over 50 years until a fire permanently damaged the restaurant in the spring.

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Steve Neavling

Sauce

4120 Second Ave., Detroit

Technically Sauce never opened to ever have closed, but it’s on the list because it simply didn’t happen. Fortunately the restaurant group behind Sauce decided to open a new restaurant in the space with a similar concept.

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Steve Neavling

Sala Thai

3400 Russell St., Detroit

After 20 years serving the Eastern Market, Sala Thai quietly closed its doors in April. The space went up for lease back in August.

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Michelle and Chris Gerard

Astro Coffee

and

Ochre Bakery

2124 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 4884 Grand River, Detroit

This one is a twofer as both places share owners. Astro Coffee initially opened in Corktown in 2011, while Ochre opened in Core City in 2019. In 2020, Astro Coffee moved its roastery next door to Ochre and in May, the owners announced the closing of both.

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Tom Perkins

Bunny Bunny

1454 Gratiot Ave., Detroit

After two years in Eastern Market, fusion restaurant Bunny Bunny was forced to close due to financial issues, according to the owners, who took to social media to make the announcement in September.

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Tom Perkins

Chili Mustard Onions

3411 Brush St., Detroit

Detroit’s first vegan coney island announced its closure in October. Chili Mustard Onions’ owner does have plans to manufacture the restaurant’s products for retail sale.

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Tom Perkins

Ready Player One

407 E. Fort St., Detroit

The bar and arcade that served us nothing but nostalgia closed its downtown location earlier this year. The restaurant is now home to “weird” pizzeria chain, Pizza Cat.

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Steve Neavling

The Peterboro

420 Peterboro St., Detroit

The Peterboro closed for new ownership and renovations back in July, but has yet to re-open. The restaurant continues to tease its grand re-opening on social media, but hasn’t announced an official date.

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Google Maps

Woodward Bar & Grill

6426 Woodward Ave., Detroit

The Woodward was Detroit's oldest LGBTQ bar and venue. The cocktail bar suffered a devastating fire in June.

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Roast/Facebook

Roast

1128 Washington Blvd., Detroit

Michael Symon's Roast abruptly closed one cold January night. So abrupt, that even its employees were blindsided by the closing.

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Lee DeVito

Great Lakes Coffee

3965 Woodward Ave., Detroit

In January, after a COVID-19 outbreak hit Great Lakes Coffee Roasting Co., and nine out of fifteen of the workers tested positive, the Midtown shop was closed indefinitely. One month later, Great Lakes Coffee workers from other locations went on strike with claims of poor COVID-19 protocols and unfair wages and labor practices.

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Google Maps

Pizza Papalis (Greektown)

553 Monroe St., Detroit

Pizza Papalis has been a fixture on Monroe St. since 1986, but the loss of traffic throughout the pandemic made keeping the establishment open difficult. This resulted in the closing of the once popular Greektown location, but several others remain open.

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Steve Neavling

Harmony Garden Cafe

4704 Anthony Wayne Dr., Detroit

After 30 years in business, Harmony Garden closed its doors in July.

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Liza Lagman Sperl/ Flickr Creative Commons

Cass Cafe

4620 Cass Ave., Detroit

Cass Cafe has been a hub for local artists since the early 1990s. The beloved local restaurant was also a hotspot for vegans and vegetarians due to several meatless options on the menu. The Midtown favorite closed in July.

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Jerilyn Jordan

Street Beet

4626 Third St., Detroit

Street Beet, a playful vegan pop-up that had been operating out of Midtown's 3rd Street Bar, closed for good in February.

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Randiah Camille Green

Taqueria El Rey

4730 W. Vernor Hwy, Detroit

A fire destroyed one of Detroit's favorite taco spots, Taqueria El Rey. The restaurant launched a crowdsourcing campaign in January to help support employees through the devastsation.

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Google Maps

Le Culture Cafe

1452 Brush St., Detroit

Le Culture Cafe announced in January it would temporarily be closing its doors on Brush Street. It wasn't long before "temporary" became permanent. However, the restaurant's owners opened a sister restaurant, Culture Soul at 24737 W. Eight Mile Rd., soon after its closing.

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New Martha Bakery/Facebook

New Martha Bakery

10335 Joseph Campau St, Hamtramck

After 50 years serving delicious packzi in the metro Detroit area, New Martha Bakery closed due to the health of its owners. The space was bought by its neighbor, Dos Locos Tacos.

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Exferimentation Brewing Co./ Instagram

Exferimentation Brewing Co.

7 N. Saginaw St., Pontiac

After five years in business, Exerimentation Brewing Co. closed its doors citing the pandemic as the reason for the closure.

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The Detroit area restaurants that have closed in 2022

Tags:

Karl’s

Traffic Jam & Snug

Sauce

Sala Thai

Astro Coffee

Ochre Bakery

Bunny Bunny

Chili Mustard Onions

Ready Player One

The Peterboro

Woodward Bar & Grill

Roast

Great Lakes Coffee

Pizza Papalis (Greektown)

Harmony Garden Cafe

Cass Cafe

Street Beet

Taqueria El Rey

Le Culture Cafe

New Martha Bakery

Exferimentation Brewing Co.

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