RIP Greektown: Laikon Closing

**dawn26** · March-07-12, 03:41 PM

thank you for the pics of the old chinatown...very nice

**christos** · March-08-12, 03:10 PM

Originally Posted by Gistok

Christos.... thanks for the informative comments. It reminds me of all the folks who make that long trek up to Frankenmuth to get some "authentic" German Chicken dinners.... except one little problem..... Chicken is not THEE German specialty.... pork and to a lesser degree beef is.

I don't think that anyone in my family has ever taken relatives visiting from Germany to Frankenmuth.... they would likely be asking why we drove all that way for chicken? ... surrounded by what looks like a German version of Main Street Disneyland....

Well put. And my thing is, there is nothing wrong about "hyphenated-American" cuisine, whether or not its Greek-American or German-American- I think its actually kind of interesting to see different takes on ethnic foods, and how different ethnicities conform to food that is available in the us. North America is great for raising beef, turkey, and chicken. In Europe, its pork and in some places lamb and goat. American cuisine is interesting as it is a blend of very diverse tastes and i think good things happen when these tastes collide- its just a shame to me that Greek restaurant owners don't realize that the key to their survival is MORE authenticity, not less.

**AGinthe313** · April-13-12, 07:08 AM

Walked by Laikon this morning and the 2^nd floor of the building is now gone. The demo is moving very quickly. I’ll try to take some pics tonight or tomorrow.

**bibs** · April-13-12, 12:48 PM

Are there any buildings left between Laikon and the gravel lot where New Hellas used to be? Moved to St Louis area so I can't swing by these familar sites any more. On the other side of the street, Google street view shows the casino expanded and it looks like they have steet level shops. Did any public restaurant open up?

**Flintoid** · April-13-12, 01:01 PM

Originally Posted by bibs

Are there any buildings left between Laikon and the gravel lot where New Hellas used to be? Moved to St Louis area so I can't swing by these familar sites any more. On the other side of the street, Google street view shows the casino expanded and it looks like they have steet level shops. Did any public restaurant open up?

Nothing there no. Greektown is planning to build a new building in place of Laikon, but there have not been any renderings released yet.

**Detroitnerd** · April-13-12, 01:17 PM

Originally Posted by Flintoid

Nothing there no. Greektown is planning to build a new building in place of Laikon, but there have not been any renderings released yet.

The "new building" will be a one-story building, from what I understand, with a pedestrian tubeway coming out of the casino, passing over Monroe Street, passing over the one-story building at the Laikon site [[I doubt they'll keep the Laikon up; it had foundation problems), and across the alley to the new valet structure going up behind the alley.

Trapper Holdings LLC should just knock down Greektown at this point and call it Casinotown. Laikon could have gone on as a moneymaker for another 100 years, but the Trapper players have a percentage of the casino so they no longer care about the neighborhood they came up in.

**bibs** · April-13-12, 02:04 PM

I would image that the dynamics in Greek Town have changed so much that some of these businesses might be forced to sell. If your business is declining due to traffic congesting related to the casino and your restaurant sales are delcining due to competition from the casino, your best option is to sell. Is another restaurant district taking it's place? What about the Harmonie park area?

**Detroitnerd** · April-13-12, 02:33 PM

Originally Posted by bibs

I would image that the dynamics in Greek Town have changed so much that some of these businesses might be forced to sell. If your business is declining due to traffic congesting related to the casino and your restaurant sales are delcining due to competition from the casino, your best option is to sell. Is another restaurant district taking it's place? What about the Harmonie park area?

If I remember right, when Greektown moved in it promised to not have restaurants. [[But now they do.) The foot traffic should have benefited the restaurants. But it was alleged that Greektown could be capricious, however, about which restaurants were part of its comp program. I think a main sticking point would be the tubes between hotel and casino -- all that energy is taken off the street and funneled right into the gambling house. It would be possible to drive into the casino hotel, eat, go gamble, and never set foot on Monroe Street. For Greektown, it's a recipe for disaster...

**downtownguy** · April-13-12, 02:41 PM

Are there any buildings left between Laikon and the gravel lot where New Hellas used to be?

Originally Posted by Flintoid

Nothing there no. Greektown is planning to build a new building in place of Laikon, but there have not been any renderings released yet.

That's not correct. The liquor store that once was Cyprus Taverna is there and so is Red Smoke.

**Gistok** · April-13-12, 04:31 PM

Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

If I remember right, when Greektown moved in it promised to not have restaurants. [[But now they do.) The foot traffic should have benefited the restaurants. But it was alleged that Greektown could be capricious, however, about which restaurants were part of its comp program. I think a main sticking point would be the tubes between hotel and casino -- all that energy is taken off the street and funneled right into the gambling house. It would be possible to drive into the casino hotel, eat, go gamble, and never set foot on Monroe Street. For Greektown, it's a recipe for disaster...

Right you are DN.... and if you do take the tube across... it sends you on a wild goose chase into the middle of the casino nowhere near an exit to Monroe Ave. And once you've followed that maze, you become sort of disoriented into which direction to go to get to Monroe. Get off at the end of the tube... or at Trappers Alley? No can do....

This was done deliberately so that you can't easily get to the street after crossing the tube.

**bibs** · April-13-12, 04:32 PM

Thanks downtown guy. Yeah, I remember the Greek Town casino promising to keep the restaurants going with comps etc. Many folks on this forum predicted that the casino would channel customer into their building, feed them in restaurants located inside and that restaurants in Greek town would eventually fold.

**AGinthe313** · July-10-12, 06:50 PM

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**townonenorth** · July-10-12, 07:09 PM

I'm guessing that the expansion of "Greek" food into the suburbs has killed Greektown more than any casino could. It's sad to see saganaki cheese advertised in Coneys. It kind of devalues the experience.

**jcole** · July-10-12, 07:44 PM

These are the restaurants that take comps from Greektown Casino. Seems fairly large to me. I think the only one in the area that doesn't take comps is Pegasus, and that was by their own choice. Also, if you are in the casino and want to eat at, say, Golden Fleece, all you have to do is go to the lower level and walk out the door into Trapper's Alley. You can also enter by the front doors near Pegasus off of Monroe and walk through Trapper's to the entrance near Beaubien. Not really all that difficult. The elevators in the garage go all the way down to street level.

Restaurants accepting Greektown Casino comps:	Recommended Comp Value Per Person: Lunch/Dinner
Bistro 555 1.888.771.4FUN ext 3100	$12/$30
Trapper's Snack Bar	$10/$10
Andiamo Detroit Riverfront 1.313.567.6700	$25/$40
Astoria Pastry Shop 1.313.963.9603	$15/$15
Cold Stone Creamery 1.313.964.2715	$10/$10
Endzone Chicken and Ribs 1.313.963.3537	$15/$25
Fishbone's Rhythm Cafe 1.313.965.4600	$20/$35
Five Guys Burger and Fries 1.313.237.7777	$15/$15
Golden Fleece 1.313.962.7093	$12/$20
Loco's Tex-Mex Grille 1.313.965.3737	$15/$25
Monroe St. Steakhouse 1.313.961.3636	NA/$45
Mosaic Restaurant 1.313.962.9366	$30/$60
New Parthenon Restaurant 1.313.963.8888	$20/$30
Niki's Pizza 1.313.961.4303	$15/$25
Opus One 1.313.961.7766	$25/$40
Pappy's Sports Bar & Grill 1.313.983.4000	$15/$25
PizzaPapalis 1.313.961.8020	$15/$25
Red Smoke BBQ 1.313.962.2100	$20/$35
Ham Shop Cafe 1.313.965.0088

**townonenorth** · July-10-12, 10:56 PM

Originally Posted by jcole

These are the restaurants that take comps from Greektown Casino. Seems fairly large to me. I think the only one in the area that doesn't take comps is Pegasus, and that was by their own choice. Also, if you are in the casino and want to eat at, say, Golden Fleece, all you have to do is go to the lower level and walk out the door into Trapper's Alley. You can also enter by the front doors near Pegasus off of Monroe and walk through Trapper's to the entrance near Beaubien. Not really all that difficult. The elevators in the garage go all the way down to street level.

One, maybe 2 restaurants that may, or may not be Greek. Time to change the name of the area, it seems.

**jcole** · July-10-12, 11:26 PM

At least 6 of them are from the old days of Greektown

**rb336** · July-11-12, 09:23 AM

what are they putting into the site?

**daddeeo** · July-11-12, 01:54 PM

Once New Hellas closed, GreekTown was done as far as I was concerned.

**Wheels** · July-11-12, 02:11 PM

Originally Posted by rb336

what are they putting into the site?

Maybe this thread mite have the answer?
Just a possibility.

**stasu1213** · July-11-12, 03:51 PM

I love the Ham Shop.

**Detroitnerd** · July-11-12, 04:18 PM

Originally Posted by stasu1213

I love the Ham Shop.

On that we agree. But Ham Shoppe had to move down to Monroe when they were thrown out of their hole in the wall. Just had some Ham Shoppe food today, actually!

**stasu1213** · July-11-12, 09:45 PM

Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

On that we agree. But Ham Shoppe had to move down to Monroe when they were thrown out of their hole in the wall. Just had some Ham Shoppe food today, actually!

Ham Shoppe is one of the best restaurant in Greektown. I see newsanchor persons and crews eat there many early mornings. Sal always remember orders from regulars. They are not overpriced and could compete with Five Guys Burgers and Fries and others in the area. The move to that location was a blessing in disguise.

**noise** · July-12-12, 08:43 AM

How is Golden Fleece? I've never been, but I'll be staying in Greektown for 2 nights for a wedding next week and can always find time for a gyro.

**piczka** · July-12-12, 01:22 PM

You will be pleasantly fleeced.

**jcole** · July-12-12, 02:14 PM

Originally Posted by noise

How is Golden Fleece? I've never been, but I'll be staying in Greektown for 2 nights for a wedding next week and can always find time for a gyro.

I love the Fleece; it's reasonable compared to other restaurants in the area and has that old Greektown feel to it. The gyros are great and so is the saganaki