Every closed-up fast food place in Detroit

[scottn55]

I noticed Friday that the White Castle at Harper and Chalmers has become some sort of BBQ joint. I've definitely devoured some "whiteys" at that location after stumbling out of Harpo's!

[313WX]

I noticed Friday that the White Castle at Harper and Chalmers has become some sort of BBQ joint. I've definitely devoured some "whiteys" at that location after stumbling out of Harpo's!

CAptain Jay's Fish and Chicken.

BTW, another one is going up on 7 Mile and Gratiot [[in the block where the Subway used to be)

[jackie5275]

Circa 1970s...Farrell's Ice Cream Parlor at Schoolcraft & Telegraph...there may have been other locations in the Metro Detroit area...

http://farrellsusa.com/

There was one in Waterford just outside of Pontiac on Elizabeth Lake Rd. It closed in the mid to late 70s though. The one in Redford stayed open years longer.

[scottn55]

CAptain Jay's Fish and Chicken.

BTW, another one is going up on 7 Mile and Gratiot [[in the block where the Subway used to be)

My mistake... that is the place.

[mtburb]

I just noticed that you did not list the following:

Church's Chicken; Detroit; 1554-56 Woodward Avenue; opened circa 1976 in building that was built in the late 1950's; eventually closed; building collapsed 2008

[TenPoundHammer]

Here's a 1980s addition for Little Ceasars...46991 Van Dyke in Shelby Twsp...it
became a Big Boy Restaurant in the '90s/'00s...today the bldg still sits vacant & boarded up. The property must be worth more than the bldg by now.

Are you sure this was a Little Caesars? It comes up as Big Boy in 1966.

I just noticed that you did not list the following:

Church's Chicken; Detroit; 1554-56 Woodward Avenue; opened circa 1976 in building that was built in the late 1950's; eventually closed; building collapsed 2008

Are you sure on the address? They had one downtown in a nonstandard building?

[mtburb]

Are you sure on the address? They had one downtown in a nonstandard building?

There's a PDF document in this forum post that mentions Church's at 1554-56 Woodward near the bottom.

McDonald's also used to have another downtown location [[in the Bankers' Trust Building at Congress and Shelby) during the 1980's and 90's that later became a Greek diner and eventually several nightclubs. I'm not sure what's in that building now.

EDIT: I don't remember the Southland Mrs. Field's ever being an Original Cookie Company, but I do know that it was formerly Great American Cookie until after 1998.

EDIT 2: Here's another addition that's further up Woodward:
Church's Chicken; Detroit; Woodward and Forest Avenues; closed October 2013; will become Checker's

Plus, I also noticed today that the sign at the Subway at Woodward and Warren has been removed, probably indicating it closed. There's a vacant lot to the east and south of that store that was formerly the site of a building that contained this:

Domino's; Detroit; Woodward Avenue between Hancock and Warren; closed late 2000's; torn down; site vacant

[mtburb]

And since I can no longer edit the above post, I guess double-posting's the only option here...

I just happened to notice another Church's you didn't list:
Church's Chicken; Southgate; 13936 Eureka Road; opened before and closed after 1980; torn down for Amoco station [[now BP)

I recall this was also the closest Church's to my very first home.

[fastcarsandfreedom]

National Coney Island at Macomb Mall is closing as of 12/3...interesting to note that a big sign near the mall entrance to the restaurant states it's been open for 48 years...which I assume would date it to close to the opening date for the entire mall [[1964?)...sign states they are opening an "Express" location in the mall and have secured a sight on the other side of Gratiot for a full-line location opening in 2014 [[presumably this is the former La Shish which has recently been undergoing some work).

As an aside, there is also activity at the former LongHorn Steakhouse in the Macomb Mall outlot, which closed early in 2012...cars in the parking lot on a regular basis for the past few weeks, lights on inside, etc.

[mtburb]

An update to the former Merchant's Row Big Boy...

Detroit's Breakfast House closed in 2011 and reopened as the Hudson Cafe later that year.

[fastcarsandfreedom]

...National's closure at Macomb Mall seems now to be explained by the pending renovation of the mall which includes...apparently...the demolition of the long vacant Crowley's store...National is contained within the Crowley's structure...apparently Dick's will open on the Crowley's site. The nasty old movie theaters are on the way out too.

[313WX]

...National's closure at Macomb Mall seems now to be explained by the pending renovation of the mall which includes...apparently...the demolition of the long vacant Crowley's store...National is contained within the Crowley's structure...apparently Dick's will open on the Crowley's site. The nasty old movie theaters are on the way out too.

Both Eastland and Macomb Mall are on death watch [[Macomb Mall more so because it lacks the anchors Eastland has). Renovating these centers won't change that fact.

They're catering to a economically depressed area/clientale [[relatively speaking) and are forced to compete with Lakeside Mall and now Partridge Creek.

[fastcarsandfreedom]

313WX - Sears and Kohls are decent anchors and the inline parts of Macomb are a lot healthier than Eastland - Macomb has vacancies but also a decent assortment of national chains...Eastland, aside from Macys and Target [[and maybe Burlington) is a pit...and gun play doesn't help the cause there. I'm a GPer and will occassionally go to the Eastland Macys--which actually appears to still do a decent business--the last time two times I ventured further afield I found--a) clouds of marijuana smoke in the Target parking lot and b) someone urinating in the parking lot beside my truck parked outside Applebees.

[GP For Life]

313WX - Sears and Kohls are decent anchors and the inline parts of Macomb are a lot healthier than Eastland - Macomb has vacancies but also a decent assortment of national chains...Eastland, aside from Macys and Target [[and maybe Burlington) is a pit...and gun play doesn't help the cause there. I'm a GPer and will occassionally go to the Eastland Macys--which actually appears to still do a decent business--the last time two times I ventured further afield I found--a) clouds of marijuana smoke in the Target parking lot and b) someone urinating in the parking lot beside my truck parked outside Applebees.

Pretty soon they're going to be taking GP school kids to Eastland to show them what will happen if they don't get good grades.

The problem comes from the fact that too many people in the area see places where commerce is conducted as an opportunity to rob and steal. Seriously, they knocked over the new Family Dollar there a week or so after it was opened. Thanks for investing in our community, now give me all your money.

Then the HW police run a train on you if you speed on Eight Mile. Here's a tip, Barn, don't write me a ticket when I come to purchase goods in your dilapidated mall.

[TenPoundHammer]

...National's closure at Macomb Mall seems now to be explained by the pending renovation of the mall which includes...apparently...the demolition of the long vacant Crowley's store...National is contained within the Crowley's structure...apparently Dick's will open on the Crowley's site. The nasty old movie theaters are on the way out too.

About time they got something to replace the Crowley's. I thought that JCPenney jumped the gun by opening a standalone store across the street — if they had waited a bit more, they could've taken the old Crowley's. But Dick's isn't a bad choice at all.

This lease plan on Lormax Stern's website is interesting, as it shows not only the proposed Dick's, but also two restaurant suites and a TJ Maxx where the theater is now. It also has the entire swath of stores between FootAction and the old f.y.e. [[including the old Gap) shown as a single, 18,000-SF vacancy.

Lormax Stern also bought Bay City Mall recently, and have already attracted far more tenants than the previous administration, including a Marshalls.

McDonald's also used to have another downtown location [[in the Bankers' Trust Building at Congress and Shelby) during the 1980's and 90's that later became a Greek diner and eventually several nightclubs. I'm not sure what's in that building now.

205 W. Congress. Listed in 1990 on Google Books, but not in the 1992 phone book. I love it when I can narrow down a closing date like that. It's a nightclub still.

[mtburb]

The other downtown McDonald's [[Capitol Park) later became a third restaurant called "Theodore's" and is now vacant.

Just happened to notice that.

205 W. Congress. Listed in 1990 on Google Books, but not in the 1992 phone book. I love it when I can narrow down a closing date like that. It's a nightclub still.

How did you access those phone books? I couldn't access them on Google Books [[except for selected excerpts).

[TenPoundHammer]

How did you access those phone books? I couldn't access them on Google Books [[except for selected excerpts).

The snippets are all I need. But the 1990 hit for a McDonald's at 205 W. Congress actually came from this. I'll have to hit the U of M library again soon and peruse their collection, as I gathered a lot of listings from a 1973 Detroit phone book the last time I was there.

[mtburb]

And for those chains not listed, this webpage mentions a Country Kitchen at 22100 West Road in Woodhaven in 1991 and 1994. Was this the chain or was it an independent restaurant? BTW, if it was the chain, then Millie's Family Restaurant is currently at that address.

Plus, add this as well:
Subway; Trenton; 3060 Van Horn Road [[Trafford Square); relocated either late 2012 or early 2013 to former Wendy's at 3041

Reflect that relocation on the Wendy's page as well [[since you already listed that location).

EDIT: As of July 2013, a Wild Coney & Grill [[the same one that currently operates in the former Southgate Chicken Shack) has opened inside the former Woodhaven Burger King, while Uncle Harry's [[in the former Burger Chef) across West Road has been closed for quite a while.

[RO_Resident]

The Cold Stone Creamery on Main in Royal Oak is closing.
https://www.facebook.com/ColdStoneRoyalOak

[TenPoundHammer]

And for those chains not listed, this webpage mentions a Country Kitchen at 22100 West Road in Woodhaven in 1991 and 1994. Was this the chain or was it an independent restaurant? BTW, if it was the chain, then Millie's Family Restaurant is currently at that address.

So far I'm not getting much either way. A 1991 listing on Google Books says that it had a salad bar, which I'm pretty sure was never a feature of the chain. Also, there was a non-chain Country Kitchen in Riverview, and I woudl bet that the two were related somehow. My gut says "not the chain".

[mtburb]

And here's two new ones:

Caesarland; Warren; 11555 Engleman Road; closed ca. 2011; vacant
and
Caesarland; Waterford Township; 5032 Dixie Highway; closed mid-2000's; vacant

The Southgate Caesarland actually didn't close in 2012, it also closed circa 2011. Plus, remove the mentions that the Southgate and Warren Caesarlands are still open, since both are now shuttered.

[fastcarsandfreedom]

Cold Stone is one of those franchise/chains - comes on strong and big and then falls flat - not saying they'll fail across-the-board--but they definitely overbuilt...and it's tough going in winter.

The Cold Stone Creamery on Main in Royal Oak is closing.
https://www.facebook.com/ColdStoneRoyalOak

[mtburb]

UPDATE: Chicken Shack has just opened in the former Riverview Hardee's, replacing EZ Epicure. There was a story about it in the News-Herald some days ago, but it's not on their site.

EDIT: While browsing the Wayne County Register of Deeds website, I discovered a listing dated January 14, 1970 named "Kentucky Roast Beef of Westland". I do know that KFC did attempt [[and failed) to imitate Arby's using the "Kentucky Roast Beef" name along the West Coast, so did they briefly operate a KRB in Westland around 1970?

Plus, while on that site, I found listings related to a Taco Bell in Southgate with 1992 dates. Perhaps that's when it moved to it's current location? In addition, I've noticed that the Wyandotte KFC was still in operation in 1987 and that listings relating to the construction of the current KFC at Eureka and Fort Street in Southgate are dated 1992, so perhaps that's when the relocation occurred?

[mtburb]

This page mentions a Wendy's at 3313 Fort Street in Trenton in 1997. However, this address is a non-existent one in an apartment complex [[which is at 3315) and I do know that the apartments were there even in the 1980's, therefore, this Wendy's is non-existent and can be put on your "not formers" page.

EDIT: And here's two that definitely existed:

KFC/Pizza Hut combo; Detroit; 14350 Livernois Avenue; closed either late 2010 or early 2011; vacant
Hot & Now; Chesterfield Township; 23 Mile Road east of I-94; closed and became Checkers 2012 [[unless someone who lives up there proves otherwise)

[mtburb]

And here's a correction: The CVS that was planned to be built on the site of the Ecorse Rally's was never built, as of 2012, the lot is still vacant and the sign that announced that a CVS would be "coming soon" has been taken down.

And here's an updated listing:

Long John Silver's; Dearborn; 25230 Michigan Avenue; later LaSalle Bank; then Bank of America; now vacant