13 Metro Detroit bars, restaurants that closed in 2024
Andres Hot Chicken (Image: Hideaway & Bandit Tavern)
(FOX 2):This year, diners bid farewell to several Metro Detroit establishments, including both chain restaurants and neighborhood eateries.
A few eateries that closed in 2024 are listed below, along with what will take their place:
(This is merely a summary of some significant closures over the last 12 months; it is by no means comprehensive.)
The Rattlesnake Club – Detroit
shuttered its doors in June after 36 years of operation in Detroit.
The restaurant claims that the decision to close was made because it had a difficult time during the COVID pandemic and never fully recovered.
Mark Tuttle, the restaurant’s vice president and chief financial officer, stated that “since the Covid pandemic, changing patterns in dining habits, office occupancy, and traffic have negatively impacted revenues.” “Private events, which had always been a pillar of the business, have not recovered.”
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“It’s an example of the state of the industry at the moment,” Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association spokesperson Emily Daunt said. “Michigan s restaurant industry is really in a more precarious position.”
Bobcat Bonnie’s – Ypsilanti, Partridge Creek
This year, two Bobcat Bonnie’s restaurants in the area were shut down. They shut down in August. The arcade in the restaurant’s basement, Keystone, closed along with the Ypsilanti site.
As the company tries to reduce its presence and concentrate more on the locations that are still open, these closures are occurring.
The remaining Bobcat locations remain open.
What’s next?
There are two fresh ideas coming to the closed Bobcat’s building, according to Stewart Beal, a landlord in the Ypsilanti area who owns several properties in and around downtown.
The owner of Dixboro’s Moon Winks Cafe intends to create a speakeasy with live jazz in the basement and an Italian and French cafe on the main floor.
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“We feel Matt has done his part to make things right with the Ypsilanti staff, but we encourage him to continue working towards solutions to grievances raised in the petition delivered October 7th.”
Pizza Cat – Detroit, Westland
In 2022, the Ohio-based pizza restaurant Pizza Cat moved into the former Ready Player One location in Detroit and opened its first location in Michigan.
Westland was one of the suburbs where the firm opened a number of carryout-only Pizza Cats.
Pizza Cat Westland closed in December, while Pizza Cat Max shuttered in March.
In addition to carryout locations in Madison Heights and Oak Park, there is now a Pizza Cat Max in Ann Arbor.
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After this weekend, the Detroit Pizza Cat Max location will close, the restaurant chain said on Friday. In 2022, the Ready Player One location was replaced by a pizza place close to Greektown.
BD’s Mongolian Grill – Dearborn
In March, the Dearborn location abruptly closed.
In 1998, BD’s established its first location in Dearborn, and it has since expanded to several dozen locations nationwide. The only places left in Michigan are Canton, Flint, and Sterling Heights.
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This week, the BD’s Mongolian Grill in Dearborn shuttered without warning.
Capri Pizza – Southfield
After serving pizza for over 60 years, Southfield’s closed its doors in early June.
There was no explanation given for the shutdown. In April 2021, the pizza place was taken up by new proprietors.
Fans shared recollections of working at the pizza place as children and enjoying Capri’s food for years after the closure was announced in a Facebook post.
What’s next?
Right now, the building is up for sale.
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Capri Pizza in Southfield is closing after more than 60 years of operation.
Bandit Tavern – Royal Oak
Royal Oak’s Jolly Pumpkin closed less than a year after being renamed as a restaurant with a Southern flair.
Bandit also shuttered, as did Hideaway, a basement bar with shifting themes.
What’s next?
Right now, the building is up for sale.
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The restaurant has closed less than a year after Royal Oak’s Jolly Pumpkin was transformed into Bandit Tavern & Hideaway, a Southern-themed dining.
The Morrie – Royal Oak
This year, another eatery on Main Street in Royal Oak also permanently shuttered.
As the building owner changed his priorities, the Morrie closed for the summer.
, a restaurant with a presence in New Baltimore, opened soon after the closure, bringing its foreign fusion specialties to Royal Oak, thus the space wasn’t unoccupied for long.
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As The Morrie shuts, Blind Owl, an international fusion restaurant in New Baltimore, intends to move to Royal Oak.
Arctic Circle Brewing Co. – Chesterfield
Shortly before Christmas, this Chesterfield brewery shuttered.
Early in November, word spread of the company’s demise, which was attributed to a decline in revenue and financial difficulties.
Despite not selling its own food, Arctic Circle frequently had food trucks stop by the brewery to serve lunch and dinner.
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The Arctic Circle Brewing Co. in Chesterfield Township will close next month, three years after it first opened.
Scout Vester – Ferndale
Months after opening in the old M-Brew location, Scout Vester, a pinball-themed pub, shuttered its doors abruptly in early December.
The shutdown was caused by a decline in sales. The owner claims that despite expectations that sales would rise during Thanksgiving holiday, the company was forced to permanently close.
What’s next?
The owner of Syndicate Ferndale will have a new idea for 177 Vester St. in the new year.
Dana Taucher, the owner of Syndicate Ferndale, which is across the street from Scout, plans to open a second restaurant in the space.
“While I can t reveal too much about what s coming to 177 Vester, I can promise that our new spot will offer an approachable menu and bar designed to fill the space that s been missing in our city,” Taucher wrote in a post announcing the new venture. “It will be a place where everyone feels welcome a place to create new memories and connections, to enjoy great food, beverages and more!”
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A week after Scout Vester closed in Ferndale, a new bar and eatery is already preparing to take over the spot. The owner of Syndicate Ferndale is opening a new restaurant in the space.
Smugglers Run – Wyandotte
Smugglers Run, a tiki bar and event venue along the Detroit River, closed over the summer.
The venue was used for concerts, weddings, and more before it shut.
“Due to the current economic environment that we all face, Smugglers Run has made the very difficult decision to close and cease operations effective immediately,” the business wrote in a post announcing the closure. “Over the last six-plus years we have met and provided entertainment for so many great people.”
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Smugglers Run in Wyandotte closed abruptly. The music venue along the Detroit River announced the closure on social media.
Chicken Guy – Livonia
Guy Fieri’s chain Chicken Guy closed in late June, about a year after opening.
The spot on Plymouth Road quickly became home to another chain chicken joint – Shaq’s Big Chicken.
Chicken Guy has another location in Michigan; find it at Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort in Mount Pleasant.
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