GAR Building up for sale.

[Gistok]

Not surprised with the pandemic and its' effect on downtown and restaurants...

https://www.msn.com/en-us/foodanddri...id=hplocalnews

Sounds like the restaurants had continuous problems in keeping staff... or should I say in firing staff.

[Richard]

That does not even make sense,who needs a chef for a 34 seat restaurant that only serves breakfast?

Let alone fire them with a text.

The owners admitting that they are not restauranteurs then hoping they will carry the nut of a 4.5 million investment,so how do you fire somebody if you do not know if what they are doing is right or wrong outside, of strictly based on the numbers generated against all odds?

I think it all has little to do with a pandemic,at least the way it reads.

I do not know why but whenever I hear of somebody saying they want to open a period style restaurant,I think of a soda fountain with a long counter and blue plate specials that can be cooked by an X Waffle House line cook.

Having said that,for some reason as of late the label of “chef” seems to have transgressed into the guy that yells at everybody on TV,most of them became primaadonnas.

At least they saved the building,hopefully they have luck with the sale.

PPE loans and grants would have offset the majority of losses,pandemic related.

[Henry Whalley]

Originally, one of the upper floors was small auditorium where the Detroit City Boys Band used to rehearse one evening a week. Eventually, the ensemble became co-ed but nevertheless was called Boys Band into the late 1960s. It always performed carols for the tree-lighting ceremony, and summers played at Belle Isle and State Fair band shells. Come to think of it, we always performed outdoors under the auspices of Detroit Parks and Rec.

[Gistok]

Richard...

https://detroit.eater.com/2018/5/19/...ing-gar-castle

Firing via text.... yeah pretty sleazy. Even worse... firing as you're going on your Honeymoon.

[davewindsor]

Price?

[masterblaster]

That does not even make sense,who needs a chef for a 34 seat restaurant that only serves breakfast?

To be fair, the restaurant did not serve regular toast and eggs, it was a hipster restaurant with a specialty type breakfast items like eggs benedict and big, fancy cinnamon rolls.

At least they saved and restored the building. If the Ilitches had remained the owners, they would have demolished it and we would have accepted it like we did the Adams Theater, the Chin Tiki restaurant, Tiger Stadium, and many, many other buildings that have been lost.

[Jason]

I don't really know the details of these companies but when the building was being renovated the story was that it was bought and renovated by Mindfield, a video making company, for their own use. I think the restaurant stuff is secondary but it seems to be the only thing mentioned in the articles now.

It was quite a nice renovation, hopefully they're able to make some money from the good job they did.

[Richard]

Price?

kinda like the Majestic Theater listing,closely guarded secret.

If they turned down $70 mil for the P building that has to make this worth at least $30 mil by that reasoning.

[Gistok]

kinda like the Majestic Theater listing,closely guarded secret.

If they turned down $70 mil for the P building that has to make this worth at least $30 mil by that reasoning.

Well not quite... the now deceased owner of the Penobscot Building may have refused $70 million, although perhaps his heirs [[children) may think otherwise... but the Penobscot Building consists of 3 separate buildings taking up nearly an entire city block... the 47 story Penobscot Tower, and 13 story Penobscot Building and 23 story Penobscot Annex... totaling about 1.8 million sq. ft.

By comparison the 4 story GAR Building totals about 20,000 sq. ft.

[EastsideAl]

I don't really know the details of these companies but when the building was being renovated the story was that it was bought and renovated by Mindfield, a video making company, for their own use. I think the restaurant stuff is secondary but it seems to be the only thing mentioned in the articles now.

It was quite a nice renovation, hopefully they're able to make some money from the good job they did.

I guess, since the publication who ran the story was Eater, that what they cared about was the restaurants. But the Carleton brothers mentioned in the article are also the owners of Mindfield, and they and their partner Sean Emery bought and renovated the building as Mindfield's HQ. I don't know Mindfield's current status, but their website features the GAR building and shows their company's work from last year.

[slick]

.[/QUOTE]an organization called the Grand Army of the Republic,

This was a fraternal order of Civil War Veterans.

[Danny]

To business owners...

Always have a safety net during tough times. When it comes like the Covid-19 Pandemic, be ready. That is why you all must invest and venture out.

Working paycheck to paycheck just not going to work in America anymore. Either you rich and ready or be poor or do nothing or go into a life of crime and rob someone.

Make your decision because. It's all about survival before pleasure.

[DetroiterOnTheWestCoast]

I love the G.A.R. building. It’s a shame that these days so many yahoos in Michigan denigrate the memory of the Union soldiers by displaying flags of treason.

[Henry Whalley]

It’s a shame that these days so many yahoos in Michigan denigrate the memory of the Union soldiers by displaying flags of treason.

And planning insurrection.

P.S. The only good insurrectionist was John Brown about whom there's a new film called 'The Good Lord Bird' that I recommend most highly.

[DetroitSoldier]

For what it's worth, I thought Republic was the best restaurant in the city. I am really going to miss it. Every single out of towner that I took there said it was one of the things they remember most fondly about their Detroit experience.

[Hamtragedy]

And just think, if the Ilitches weren't forced out [[by the terms of the contract they had 7 years to do something with it) it would still be boarded up.

[drjeff]

For what it's worth, I thought Republic was the best restaurant in the city. I am really going to miss it. Every single out of towner that I took there said it was one of the things they remember most fondly about their Detroit experience.

Yeah I took a guest there maybe 3 years back and it was outstanding. I'll miss it.

[Richard]

For what it's worth, I thought Republic was the best restaurant in the city. I am really going to miss it. Every single out of towner that I took there said it was one of the things they remember most fondly about their Detroit experience.

It would not be based on the quality of food as far as a profit enterprise,in theory that restaurant should cover carrying costs for the entire building.

But not with 34 seats,you would not be able to turn them over fast enough.

It works for Waffle House because the menu is quick and easy and delivered within minutes so people eat and leave faster so the next group seats.

Plus right now food costs are insane,so combine that with an expensive chef and thats a lot of overhead,now tack on increased food costs that exceed the profit margins of 6 months ago or even 30 days ago unless they are getting in excess of $25 per sale it becomes a losing proposition and I can see why they are evaluating the situation.

The concept of cliché restaurants are fading fast,where I am at 3 people going out to a half way decent restaurant with no liquor is $125 cliche restaurants are over $200 and people in other states are reporting $250 to $300.

How many times a week can the average person handle that on a daily bases when the free flow of cash peters out in the next few months?

I think they are getting ahead of the curve because it is heading towards the times of blue plate specials and fancy dinners will be a luxury reserved for a special occasion.

I am invested in a few basic blue plate style restaurants and equip 100s more cliche restaurants and my revenues are double of the fancy ones without the fancy names or chefs,simply by serving a good meal that the average person can afford daily.

anyways,I echo the sediments of they did a excellent job of saving the building for future generations and that’s where the pride is,the rest is irrelevant and I hope they get what they are asking for and whoever buys it next continues the tradition instead of the ever so popular demolition freaks.

I guess now is the market to sell,there is no rhyme or reason in pricing anywhere in the country but even worse in Detroit because comps are hard to place ,because they can vary dramatically from street to street.

There is really no ceiling or bottom at the moment.

[Gistok]

Richard [I guess you could have saved yourself all that typing]... only the small Parks & Rec has 34 seats... the larger fancier restaurant named Republic... has much more seating.

There were 2 restaurants and office space in that building...