At least three Downriver restaurants have closed or will close

**mtburb** · July-25-18, 07:46 PM

http://www.thenewsherald.com/news/market-saturation-employee-shortage-partial-reasons-for-restaurant-closure-in/article_c1ccddda-e4cc-5104-beec-4180ca83bc87.html
http://www.thenewsherald.com/news/bi...42d3fe112.html
http://www.thenewsherald.com/news/grimaldi-s-pizzeria-location-in-southland-center-shuts-off-the/article_09adfeb0-146c-5893-be68-93fdc025bd9e.html

Supposedly due to market saturation [[but you may not rule out the ongoing "retail apocalypse"), at least three Downriver restaurants have closed or will be closing this year.

The restaurant that closed was Grimaldi's Pizzeria at Southland in Taylor, which was the chain's only location in Michigan.

The restaurants that will be closing are Fort Street Brewery in Lincoln Park and Smokie's in Wyandotte. In Smokie's case, their newer Grosse Ile outpost will remain open.

In addition to all this, the Downriver Coney Island Restaurant in Southgate remains closed after a supposed fire a few weeks back.

Of course, they could also just be toughing it out, since Downriver has slowly been turning into a real metropolis thanks in part to running out of room north of 8 Mile, especially with Wyandotte becoming the new Ferndale/Royal Oak and Taylor and Woodhaven already virtually the new Novi.

**Wesley Mouch** · July-26-18, 09:51 AM

Smokies, per article, was a landlord issue -- with a little bitching about labor.

What on earth is 'market saturation' mean in the restaurant industry? Too much competition? I guess that means people are choosing to go elsewhere. Sounds like a healthy market to me. The best will survive.

**masterblaster** · July-27-18, 02:48 PM

I noticed a fairly new sushi restaurant and ramen restaurant on Fort in/around Wyandotte/Southgate.

For Woodhaven to be Novi, it would have a large thriving mall and a large Asian population. I guess it has the McMansions, big box stores, and the well-to-do population.

**mtburb** · July-27-18, 05:58 PM

Originally Posted by masterblaster

I noticed a fairly new sushi restaurant and ramen restaurant on Fort in/around Wyandotte/Southgate.

That would have to be on the Wyandotte side in a building that was originally Taco Bell and later Quizno's. It's next to the recently-burned Michigan Portrait Studio Building between Northline and Goddard.

And regarding Grimaldi's, I can easily see why they went out of business. There were literally two other pizza restaurants on the mall property plus a third across Pardee.

**K-slice** · July-28-18, 10:04 AM

Fort Street Brewery will be a loss for LP. When I worked downriver this was one of the few spots I would take people for lunch in that area. More than I75 construction or market saturation I would put their troubles on the steady slide of LP to an area that prefers malt liquor to craft beer.

Pack up the equipment and reopen on Fort somewhere between 75 and the lodge south of Corktown.

**mtburb** · July-28-18, 12:20 PM

Originally Posted by K-slice

Fort Street Brewery will be a loss for LP. When I worked downriver this was one of the few spots I would take people for lunch in that area. More than I75 construction or market saturation I would put their troubles on the steady slide of LP to an area that prefers malt liquor to craft beer.

I am at least also shocked that they didn't seem to get any business from I-75 detour traffic.

**jackie5275** · July-30-18, 11:27 AM

Originally Posted by mtburb

And regarding Grimaldi's, I can easily see why they went out of business. There were literally two other pizza restaurants on the mall property plus a third across Pardee.

We tried to go there once for an afternoon visit after some shopping. We were told they didn't serve food between 2-5 pm because they had to clean the ovens. But hey, we could sit at the bar & drink all we wanted. Not what we wanted to do, so we walked out. I can understand the need to clean the ovens, but taking 3 hrs out of the day when you can be serving food doesn't help.

**Bham1982** · July-30-18, 04:05 PM

Whoever is doing Grimaldis site selection needs to be replaced. I cannot believe they would open their first Michigan location in Southland Mall of all places. I mean, nothing says "high end NYC-style coal oven pizza for ex-east coasters" like Eureka Rd. in Taylor.

And I'm glad I learned that Woodhaven is apparently the Novi of Downriver...