Ye Olde Butcher Shoppe Closing [[?)

**CleveBill** · February-07-14, 07:04 PM

I stopped by Ye Olde Butcher Shoppe yesterday evening, and again this afternoon, and I noticed changes afoot: very little stock, especially among perishable items and whole coolers emptied. So I asked the owner [[behind the meat counter) what was up, to which he replied that the store was closing.

As a downtown resident, I'm disappointed, but not surprised. In my opinion, YOBS did everything right: good products, reasonable prices, delicious take-out foods, and the best Amish chicken I've ever tasted. But they just couldn't compete with the name cache of Whole Fools two blocks away.

For all you carrion shoppers, wine goes on sale Saturday.

**YounginDetroit** · February-07-14, 07:44 PM

Sad but not surprised a Whole Foods and eventually two Papa Joes downtown drove them out of business. Where they should go is New Center, we don't have any grocery stores except CVS and some shotty corner store on Seward. A YOBS type grocery store would do well and maybe[[extremely optimistically) start to bring Nonshitty retail to Woodward and the Blvd

**innercitydoc** · February-07-14, 08:31 PM

Originally Posted by YounginDetroit

Sad but not surprised a Whole Foods and eventually two Papa Joes downtown drove them out of business. Where they should go is New Center, we don't have any grocery stores except CVS and some shotty corner store on Seward. A YOBS type grocery store would do well and maybe[[extremely optimistically) start to bring Nonshitty retail to Woodward and the Blvd

I agree completely. Its time to get rid of the ghetto stores on Woodward at New Center so it can begin to look like Midtown south of the boulevard. The only problem is that they wouldn't be able to benefit from Wayne State police protection anymore.

**Zacha341** · February-07-14, 09:51 PM

I think you mean north of the Blvd where things start to get dicey and sketchy really fast. South right near there is sorta hit and miss too.

Originally Posted by innercitydoc

I agree completely. Its time to get rid of the ghetto stores on Woodward at New Center so it can begin to look like Midtown south of the boulevard. The only problem is that they wouldn't be able to benefit from Wayne State police protection anymore.

**Zacha341** · February-07-14, 09:53 PM

Yeah I was down there yesterday. Noted the sparseness of shelves... "Carrion shoppers" - that's funny!

Originally Posted by CleveBill

...But they just couldn't compete with the name cache of Whole Fools two blocks away.

For all you carrion shoppers, wine goes on sale Saturday.

**poobert** · February-07-14, 10:16 PM

It's really unfortunate. It was a really nice store, but they always seemed to have way more staff than shoppers. The prices were pretty wildly expensive, too.

I dropped more than a chunk of change there, for my part. Part of the problem was they were stuck in that no-man's-land, relatively speaking, not quite downtown, not quite Midtown.

**innercitydoc** · February-07-14, 10:21 PM

Originally Posted by Zacha341

I think you mean north of the Blvd where things start to get dicey and sketchy really fast. South right near there is sorta hit and miss too.

No I meant south as well. Particularly between Grand and Baltimore. What do you have there? A bunch of empty storefronts and low end urban retailers catering to low income folks. If it were up to me only the Coney Island, hardware store, prosthetic store, and maybe Popeyes would remain. Otherwise the whole block on both sides of Woodward should be redeveloped.

**Honky Tonk** · February-07-14, 10:28 PM

Originally Posted by innercitydoc

No I meant south as well. Particularly between Grand and Baltimore. What do you have there? A bunch of empty storefronts and low end urban retailers catering to low income folks. If it were up to me only the Coney Island, hardware store, prosthetic store, and maybe Popeyes would remain. Otherwise the whole block on both sides of Woodward should be redeveloped.

Yeah, things went straight to hell after Mr. Song moved out.

**stasu1213** · February-08-14, 01:11 PM

They did not advertise enough. I had never received a sales paper. I don't live far from the market. Whole Foods and the numerous of robberies plagued the market. I wished that they had opened in the Lafayette Park area or the East English Village area. He had struggled to open the market but Whole Foods was the death nail in the coffin. It is amazing that many Spartan stores are still open and prices are just as high if not higher than YOBS. YOBS was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. It would had done better in Lafayette Park or in some working class neighborhood away from Woodward.

**downtownguy** · February-08-14, 01:23 PM

Advertising? They couldn't afford to purchase enough advertising to equal the free publicity Holy Foods got from the media. They chose that location long before Holy Foods came to town.

But you would have them locate right next to another grocery store? Oh, right, Lafayette Foods is one of those damned Spartan stores. Owned by local people. But let's all go to Holy Foods and put another locally owned enterprise out of business.

**DetroitPlanner** · February-08-14, 01:27 PM

Maybe YOBS is just clearing their shelves so they can be an upscale Spartan Store like Busch's?

**Chinman** · February-08-14, 01:58 PM

It seems that everyone is bitching about grocery stores downtown, but no one has mentioned the Spartan store on Warren and St. Antoine. the Owners took it over when Farmer Jacks closed it and they remodeled the whole store. clean and constantly refilling the shelves. As many choices as a Kroger in the burbs. BTW...the little diner in that strip mall is great!

**masterblaster** · February-08-14, 02:23 PM

This is very disheartening and disappointing. It was a great asset to have in that neighborhood. I shopped there 4 times, but I live on the far west side of Detroit, so it was not along the way.

It had a nice salad bar and sweets selection. YOBS probably would have survived if it wasn't for Whole Foods being so close by.

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · February-08-14, 02:45 PM

Originally Posted by YounginDetroit

Sad but not surprised a Whole Foods and eventually two Papa Joes downtown drove them out of business. Where they should go is New Center, we don't have any grocery stores except CVS and some shotty corner store on Seward. A YOBS type grocery store would do well and maybe[[extremely optimistically) start to bring Nonshitty retail to Woodward and the Blvd

The New Center area is where I would want the often discussed idea of a gayborhood to take root. Now THAT would spruce up the retail.

**swingline** · February-08-14, 03:26 PM

It's disappointing that the Midtown residents haven't supported this store as they have Whole Foods. There's no reason why folks can't split their patronage between the two. It's a fine store. Meat selection is excellent with prices comparable to Whole Foods. Great wine and beer choices too. Produce not exceptional, but so what. Go to Eastern Market. YOBS deserves better.

**Danny** · February-08-14, 03:56 PM

When Whole Foods came next door to Ye Olde Butcher Shoppe they're done. Just like Zaccaro's. What's next for that building that it next to underdeveloped Brush Park and Crackhead Corridor? A liquor store!

**Danny** · February-08-14, 04:00 PM

Originally Posted by Honky Tonk

Yeah, things went straight to hell after Mr. Song moved out.

Mr. Song ran his wig and clothier boutique for over 40 years. He had his time serving the New Center Commercial District. He's has to move on.

**Honky Tonk** · February-08-14, 05:34 PM

Originally Posted by Danny

Mr. Song ran his wig and clothier boutique for over 40 years. He had his time serving the New Center Commercial District. He's has to move on.

Absolutely, Danny. Most of his clientele moved out long ago, and wouldn't make the effort to come in to shop.

**MikeyinBrooklyn** · February-08-14, 06:22 PM

Detroit will be a tough place for small grocers to survive going forward, even when they run their businesses well. I suspect we will have a several more major grocery stores coming [[Trader Joe's I think very soon). And I think we will see Wal-Mart, Target, and another Meijer, too.

**Zacha341** · February-08-14, 07:06 PM

I made an effort to shop at both. I preferred their sweets and pastries and had a couple of favorites until they stopped selling them.

Originally Posted by swingline

It's disappointing that the Midtown residents haven't supported this store as they have Whole Foods. There's no reason why folks can't split their patronage between the two.

**Zacha341** · February-08-14, 07:10 PM

Have you seen that weird 'catch all - sell all' furniture store on the corner of Woodward and the Blvd. Ick! They're trying to sell everything were it was suppose to be just a furniture store. Hah! I do like Motown Eatery! Nice....

Originally Posted by innercitydoc

No I meant south as well. Particularly between Grand and Baltimore. What do you have there? A bunch of empty storefronts and low end urban retailers catering to low income folks. If it were up to me only the Coney Island, hardware store, prosthetic store, and maybe Popeyes would remain. Otherwise the whole block on both sides of Woodward should be redeveloped.

**innercitydoc** · February-08-14, 08:09 PM

Originally Posted by Zacha341

Have you seen that weird 'catch all, sell all' furniture store on the corner of Woodward and the Blvd. Ick... It is trying to sell everything were it was suppose to be just a furniture store. Hah! I do like Motown Eatery! Nice....

You know what though? I would love to see that Caribbean cuisine restaurant open back up on the corner of Baltimore and Woodward. I don't recall ever seeing it open at any point when I was living down there but midtown and downtown lack any Caribbean options. On another note, Curbed gives good insight into YOBS demise:

http://detroit.curbed.com/archives/2...es-up.php#more

**Zacha341** · February-08-14, 08:25 PM

^^^ I hear that. You really know that area if you recall the Serengeti Ballroom on Woodward not too far from Palmer. They had Caribbean music and food...

**stasu1213** · February-08-14, 10:00 PM

Originally Posted by MikeyinBrooklyn

Detroit will be a tough place for small grocers to survive going forward, even when they run their businesses well. I suspect we will have a several more major grocery stores coming [[Trader Joe's I think very soon). And I think we will see Wal-Mart, Target, and another Meijer, too.

What type of grocery stores are in Brooklyn Are they Spartan stores as well?

**sypo** · February-08-14, 10:01 PM

I too am really disappointed that a well run, small grocer couldn't make it in our community. Personally, I prefer to support local businesses vs. corporate stores headquartered outside the metro area, but if Midtown residents prefer to shop at a corporate chain, it is their choice.

However, I am extremely frustrated with the way that the city government goes out of their way to expedite their bureaucratic processes to which small businesses are subject for these corporations and I am totally disgusted with the preferential tax treatment afforded to these corporations.

Frankly, YOBS was never given a fair chance with the delays in opening they were subject to while the seas were parted to open Whole Foods as quickly as possible. And I am sure that the sweetheart tax deal secured by Whole Foods does not extend to Honey Bee, Harbortown, University Market and other small grocers operating in the city.

The city needs to stop playing favorites -- and this goes way beyond grocery stores. I thanked Mike, the owner of YOBS, for 16 great months of service tonight. I was surprised they made it as long as they did based on the "support" they received from the DEGC and city.