Every closed-up fast food place in Detroit

[Pickford-Bentler]

The building on the southeast corner of Grand River and Braile was once a Dairy Queen. https://maps.google.com/maps?q=48219...200.16,,1,7.08

[Pickford-Bentler]

This building on the south side of Grand River past Burt Road was originally a Pizza Hut. https://maps.google.com/maps?q=48219...12,182.87,,0,0

[Pickford-Bentler]

@TenPoundHammer: It's a small world. I own a home off of US-23 seven miles south of Oscoda. Anyhow, your list is great. However, there was a Dunkin Doughnuts in Tawas at the southwest corner of the intersection of US-23 and M-55 that was razed to make way for a Right Aid. I used to go there to get my coffee before going to Huron Sport and Fitness. Kane's orginal gym was in the back of a sporting goods store in Oscoda. Nowdays, I have to use Tim Hortons. There is an argument in my family about the Mexican joint that replaced the Pizza Hut in Tawas. Most of my family equates quality with mass. So they feel the joint in Sid Town is better because they give you a huge mound of refried beans. My brother and I like the place in Tawas because the overall meal presentation is better. Anyhow, check out the leads I gave you about Detroit. I lived in that area for 25 years. My father live in that region of Detroit from 1954 to 2008. I like how you caught the Dunkin in Alpena. We used to make a pit stop there on the way up to the Soo Locks. My father worked on the Jay Burton Ayers circa 1950. She is presently the second oldest boat on the lakes and has been renamed the Cayahoga.

[mtburb]

And I have another addition:

Dunkin Donuts; Madison Heights; 29011 Stephenson Highway [[in Marathon); now Detroit Donuts

[TenPoundHammer]

However, there was a Dunkin Doughnuts in Tawas at the southwest corner of the intersection of US-23 and M-55 that was razed to make way for a Right Aid. I used to go there to get my coffee before going to Huron Sport and Fitness.

That was actually a Dawn Donuts in a Marathon station. My dad used to go there a lot when he lived in Tawas City — first in the Liberty Building, then in the trailer park off M-55 and Nunn Road. Oddly, the 1994 Polk city directory lists the Dawn Donuts, but not the Marathon, and none of my phone books from 1987-1994 list a Marathon there at all.

There is an argument in my family about the Mexican joint that replaced the Pizza Hut in Tawas. Most of my family equates quality with mass. So they feel the joint in Sid Town is better because they give you a huge mound of refried beans.

That joint is called Desi's, and it's actually in Footesite. I think the only thing in Sid Town is a cluster of houses.

[Pickford-Bentler]

The time frame I remember is the late 1990s to mid 2000s. I like to eat bagels with my coffee and, at that time, the Dunkin was the only joint offering that. The location may well have had a Dawn before that. The reason I am near certain is that I bought the exact same products there as in the location in Alpena. Every time I visited Oscoda, my father insisted on being driven to the Soo. And one needs a big coffee before they do that stretch of US-23 between Alpena and Cheyboygan. That stretch of road puts one to sleep. Now, I go to Hortons. Desi's is the name of the place. I believe it is right by that Dam Store . My father is buried in Sacred Heart Cemetery. His family started going to that area in 1925. Their original cottage washed into Lake Huron in 1953. I still have two relative from that generation living in Oscoda. They are respectively age 89 and 94. I like the golf courses and will be playing at Red Hawk next summer.

[TenPoundHammer]

The Alpena Dunkin' was a Dawn previously. Tawas City's Dawn Donuts was already gone by the late 90s.

[msamslex]

Update: The recently closed BaJa Fresh Mexican Grill over in the shopping plaza on Haggerty, [[Northville side) across from Schoolcraft College will be a Mediterranean restaurant called Food on Wood.


Back in the early 90's there was a McDonald's on W. Warren just east of Livernois and the Coca Cola plant. After it closed, I think it reopened as a Coney Island for awhile that eventually closed. Building stayed vacant. but is now torn down I believe.

[Elevator Fan]

The Ponderosa in Fairlane was on the left side of the lower level as you approached the entrance to Lord & Taylor.

Hungry Penguin was a chain owned by the Burgell family who owned the Susie Q Restaurant on Woodward in Royal Oak. A home on the east side of Lahser between Lone Pine and Long Lake Roads inexplicably has a Hungry Penguin statue in its front yard.

[downtownguy]

Hungry Penguin was a chain owned by the Burgell family who owned the Susie Q Restaurant on Woodward in Royal Oak. A home on the east side of Lahser between Lone Pine and Long Lake Roads inexplicably has a Hungry Penguin statue in its front yard.

Thanks EF. I hadn't thought of Hungry Penguin for years until a previous poster mentioned it. As much as I'm trying to remember why it sounds familiar, I can't think of where I might have gone to one back then. Were there any on the west side?

[TenPoundHammer]

The Ponderosa in Fairlane was on the left side of the lower level as you approached the entrance to Lord & Taylor.

So about where DSW is now? Or closer to center court [[Hollister area)? Also, any idea if it was anything previously? Ponderosa in a big-city mall seems VERY odd.

[mtburb]

Well, I just found this out today:

Cinnabon; Taylor; Southland Center; closed 2013, vacant [[was at the intersection of the west court and the corridor to the former Mervyn's)

[courtney]

The other half swears that at some point in the 80's or 90's, there was a Chick-Fil-A at 12 and Gratiot, in that shopping plaza where that gross Wal-Mart is now. Does anyone remember this or is he mistaken with some other place?

[msamslex]

Heading east on Joy Rd. past the Southfield there is an Uptown BBQ that must have just opened. It's housed in what used to be a Dairy Queen walk up.

[JohnR101]

The other half swears that at some point in the 80's or 90's, there was a Chick-Fil-A at 12 and Gratiot, in that shopping plaza where that gross Wal-Mart is now. Does anyone remember this or is he mistaken with some other place?

I have lived in that area since 1975 and can assure there never was a Chick-Fil-A in that area. The Outback Steakhouse in the lot, directly in front of Wal-Mart originally was a Po Folks restaurant back in the 80s [[before closing and becoming Outback). On the SW corner of Gratiot & 12 there was a Church's Chicken, now Hermans Jewelers, next to that was Long John Silvers turned Krispy Kreme turned AT&T phone center, and next to that was a Wendy's, Now a jewelry store. The Wendy's relocated across the street in a former Little Caesars Italian Kitchen, Wendy's closed and it's now Nonnis Grille

[Midnight Rambler]

Circa 1984 there was a red-colored restaurant built out in the supermarket end of the parking lot called Po Folks. It lasted a few years before being turned into an Outback Steakhouse.

Edited to add: I see another poster has provided a more definitive answer.

[mtburb]

Well, it appears that, according to an email the OP sent to me, Hardee's may soon make a huge return here, as they have already started to reenter Chicago, which they were only in for a couple of years. Does that mean that we'll start seeing them all over the tri-county area again like we used to before the 1997 bankruptcy-triggered mass closures?

[p69rrh51]

2755 Woodward

[mtburb]

The only Church's Chicken/White Castle combo I know of that has since reverted back to just White Castle is my nearest one, 16795 Fort Street in Southgate.

Plus, there was also a White Castle at 15th and Dalzelle Streets, across from MCS, that has since been torn down. There's a photo of that in this thread, which also contains a couple of White Tower locations not yet listed.

[Cincinnati_Kid]

The only Church's Chicken/White Castle combo I know of that has since reverted back to just White Castle is my nearest one, 16795 Fort Street in Southgate.

Plus, there was also a White Castle at 15th and Dalzelle Streets, across from MCS, that has since been torn down. There's a photo of that in this thread, which also contains a couple of White Tower locations not yet listed.

The White Castle on 9 Mile and Telegraph in Southfield, use to be a Church's/White Castle combo, but it too has gone back to just White Castle.

[TenPoundHammer]

Finally starting to catch up here. I got backlogged and didn't have time.

Anyway, a couple questions as I work through the backlog:

Subway [[the entire block of buildings between Eastwood and Fordham) on Gratiot and 7 Mile is now a vacant lot.

The only building I see between Eastwood and Fordham is Popeyes at 14180. I have a Subway at 14029, which appears to be still standing in an empty building, and you can see the sign frame.

Dairy Queen on Warren just east of Dickerson was shuttered in the late 90s, and is vacant [[may have been demolished recently? not sure).

Is this the one at Warren and Marseilles [[17750) you're actually referring to? I've found no evidence of DQ being near Warren @ Dickerson, but I do know the Motown Coney there is an old KFC.

[313WX]

The only building I see between Eastwood and Fordham is Popeyes at 14180. I have a Subway at 14029, which appears to be still standing in an empty building, and you can see the sign frame.

That entire block of buildings that included Subway was demolished just this past summer [[granted, another restaurant appears to be going up now in that block, perhaps a Tim Hortons?). This same block was also where Eddie's Bike Shop and Valente's Formal Clothing Store was.

[Woodward's Cousin]

Don't think I saw any references to The Clock restaurants. This was a local chain of 7 to 9 as I recall with at least one in the city on the north side of Jefferson, just east of the UAW Dave Miller Retiree Center [[ formerly Nichols). Good food. 1960s.

[EastsideAl]

Don't think I saw any references to The Clock restaurants. This was a local chain of 7 to 9 as I recall with at least one in the city on the north side of Jefferson, just east of the UAW Dave Miller Retiree Center [[ formerly Nichols). Good food. 1960s.

The Clock was at my ol' corner of Jefferson and Seminole. The building is still there. It's been a dental office for years now.

There also used to be a Biff's [[another local burger, breakfast & coffee chain) closer to the retiree center [[in fact, part of the retiree center's parking lot is now on the site) at Jefferson and Fischer.

There are actually a whole bunch of old Clock buildings still standing around the metro area and in use as something else. There is also at least one, on Joseph Campau in Hamtramck, that was still operating under the Clock name [[but not the old Clock management) until very recently.

[mtburb]

The former Burger King inside Southland Center is now the Southland Music Center and has been for years. It was located at the closest southern entrance to JCPenney.