After more than 12 years in business, Ferndale’s Public House restaurant says it’s closing for good.
“This was a very difficult decision, and a heartbreaking decision,” Brian Kramer, CEO of parent company Hometown Restaurant Group, said in a statement. “The restaurant business is very difficult right now. In my 30-plus years in the restaurant business, I’ve never experienced a tougher economy than what we are experiencing today. Add to this the high food costs, high labor costs, intense competition, the need for constant quality control, tight profit margins and endless hours of work — we just agreed the time was right to close the restaurant, take a step back, focus on our other restaurant operations and give someone else a chance to re-concept the location.”
The restaurant and cocktail bar opened at 241 W. Nine Mile Rd. in 2013 under the same owners of the nearby Imperial taco spot. After closing in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, it reopened in 2021 under new owners Hometown Restaurant Group with renovations including the addition of a vegan menu and kitchen.
Hometown Restaurant Group continues to run Ferndale restaurants Tigerlily, Pop’s for Italian, and One-Eyed Betty’s.
Local chain Sidecar Slider Bar plans to move into the Public House space, the press release states.
“We have started the process to get city and state approvals, but the gameplan on February 15, 2025 is that we will hand the keys over to Sidecar Slider bar,” Kramer said. “Sidecar is locally-owned and operated, and will be a great addition to our Ferndale community.”
Public House’s final day of service is Feb. 9.
