We'll miss these Detroit restaurants that closed in 2019

By Metro Times editorial staff on Sat, Dec 21, 2019 at 11:48 am

While Detroit's food scene continues to impress, not every local restaurant, bakery, and eatery made it through 2019. Here's a look at some of the places we said goodbye to this year.

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Mr. Pita and Papa Romano’s Pizza

615 Griswold St.
After 11 years, the Detroit location of this Michigan pizza and pita chain closed. The restaurant, which was located on the first floor of the Ford Building, served a variety of pizzas, pita dishes, and chicken wings. Citing difficulty securing a new lease after the Ford Building’s renovation, owner Bahaa Romaya chose to close the franchise.

Photo via Papa Romanos / Facebook

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Russell Street Deli

2465 Russell St.
After a disagreement between Russell Street Deli’s owners and the building’s new landlord over maintenance costs, the restaurant closed in April. An investment group led by Sanford Nelson has purchased about 20 properties in Eastern Market, including the former Russell Street Deli space. Russell Street Deli still operates a soup production factory for a line of soups available at local supermarkets.

Photo via Russell Street Deli / Facebook

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Pursue at Fort Street Galley

160 W. Fort St.
After less than a year, Chef Mike Han’s Korean raw seafood venture closed in May. Pursue, which specialized in sustainable fish dishes including sushi bowls, was placed on a remediation period with Fort Street Galley after experiencing low sales. Ultimately, Fort Street Galley terminated Pursue’s contract.

Photo via Fort Street Galley / Facebook

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Lucky’s Noble BBQ at Fort Street Galley

160 W Fort St.
After a 10-month stint at Fort Street Galley, Lucky’s Noble BBQ, an allergen-conscious barbecue spot, closed up shop in October. It’s now operating as a ‘ghost kitchen,’ meaning owners Jimmy Schmidt and Brian Recor are focusing on catering and pop-ups.

Photo via Lucky’s Noble BBQ / Facebook

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Sweet Lorraine’s Fabulous Mac ‘n Brewz

4438 Baldwin Rd.
After a slew of poor reviews on Yelp and Facebook, Sweet Lorraine’s Fabulous Mac n’ Cheez closed its Cass Corridor Mac n’ Brewz concept in April. Sweet Lorraine’s still operates a location at Great Lakes Crossing in Auburn Hills.

Photo via Sweet Lorraine’s Fabulous Mac n’ Brewz / Facebook

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Le Petit Zinc

70 W. Alexandrine St.
French-inspired creperie and cafe Le Petit Zinc closed in April after 10 years. Founded in Corktown in 2009 by Karima Sorel, the restaurant relocated to Midtown in 2018. The menu included sweet and savory crepes, quiches, coffee, and hot chocolate.

Photo via Le Petit Zinc / Facebook

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Drive Table Tennis Social Club

645 Griswold St. #144
Located in the Penobscot Building, Drive Table Tennis Social Club was a unique venture that combined a restaurant, bar, and table tennis club. The spot closed in late January after six years of operation.

Photo via Drive Table Tennis Social Club / Facebook

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Farmers Restaurant

2542 Market St.
After its building was bought by Sanford Nelson, Eastern Market’s beloved Farmers Restaurant closed in March. Farmer’s Restaurant was known for its Rueben sandwiches, pancakes, and chicken and waffles. It’s unclear whether the building’s new ownership is connected to the closure.

Photo via Eastern Market Partnership / Facebook

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Giordano’s

1224 Randolph St.
The Detroit outpost of Illinois-based pizza chain Giordano’s closed in July after only two years in the Motor City. Giordano’s, which specializes in Chicago-style deep dish pizza, also has a location in Holland.

Photo via Giordano’s Pizza / Facebook

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Mootown Ice Cream Shoppe

2461 Russell St. Eastern Market’s Mootown Creamery and Dessert Shoppe LLC closed at the end of March. Mootown, which was open seasonally from April to September, served homemade ice cream and other sweet treats.

Photo via Google Maps

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Friend & Associate

501 Monroe St.
After less than two months of operation, Greektown’s Friend & Associate closed in September. The restaurant focused on New American dishes, including duck fat fried chicken wings and rainbow trout. It’s been replaced with an extension of Delmar, a bar and nightclub owned by same team as Friend & Associate.

Photo via Google Maps

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Founders Brewing Co.

456 Charlotte St. After allegations of racial discrimination and a lawsuit against Founder filed by a former employee, the brewery closed its Detroit location in October. According to the Founder website, the location is set to reopen in 2020.

Photo via Founders Brewing Co. / Facebook

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International House of Pancakes

333 E. Jefferson Ave.
Located just a mile from the Renaissance Center, the IHOP on Jefferson Ave. closed in September. It opened in 1994 and was known as a gathering spot for city officials.

Photo via IHOP / Facebook

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River Bistro Detroit

18456 Grand River Ave.
Citing ongoing traffic on Grand River Avenue, the Caribbean-soul restaurant River Bistro Detroit is closing its doors in September after only two years. Chef Maxcel Hardy also operates Coop Caribbean Fusion in the Detroit Shipping Co. food hall.

Photo via River Bistro Detroit / Facebook

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The Farmer’s Hand

1701 Trumbull Ave.
After almost three years, The Farmer’s Hand closed in July to make way for a new venture by founders Kiki Louya and Rohani Foulkes. The Farmer’s Hand, which was a gourmet grocery store and cafe focusing on locally sourced items, is scheduled to reopen in a larger space nearby in the next few years.

Photo via The Farmer’s Hand / Facebook

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Allenby

160 W. Fort St.
Allenby, an Israeli-inspired stall in Fort Street Galley, closed in late June after only six months. Citing a lack of traffic in the food hall, owners Michael Goldberg and Katie Nelson decided to shutter their shop.

Photo via Allenby Detroit / Facebook

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Hard Rock Café

45 Monroe St.
After 15 years, Detroit’s Hard Rock Café closed in late January. Located across the street from Campus Martius, the restaurant was located in a building partly owned by Dan Gilbert’s firm Bedrock.

Photo via Google Maps

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Our/Detroit Vodka

2545 Bagley St. Our/Detroit Vodka, a cocktail bar and microdistillery based on Mexicantown, closed in early January after four years. The distillery faced controversy for branding itself as a local Detroit company. The Our/Vodka brand is owned by the French alcohol company Pernod Ricard, which also owns Absolut, Seagram, and Jameson.

Photo via Our Detroit / Facebook

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