Alinosi for sale - Step back in time.

**Maof** · January-26-21, 11:16 AM

Alinosi's on E. McNichols is for sale. Amazing on the inside as everything is still intact. Their ice cream and chocolate is still made at this location. $595,000. price tag.

https://www.xome.com/commercial-for-...8205-347207562

**13606Cedargrove** · January-26-21, 12:11 PM

I have a lot great memories of that store. The best ice cream sundaes and banana splits around. What sticks in my memory, is if the older man, whom we called "Mr. Alinosi", because we did not really know his name, waited on you, when he delivered your treat he would say "I made this just for you." And he meant it.

**jackie5275** · January-26-21, 01:38 PM

My husband introduced them to me when we were dating. He says they're the best. According to him they had a location near 8 Mile & Kelly, which was then sold to Stryka Chocolates [[another eastside fixture that has closed). Alinosi & Stryka split the building with Stryka doing candy & Alinosi still maintaining an ice cream shop. Eventually, Alinosi shut down the ice cream shop & sold their half of the building to another shop which I believe was a cigarette shop. Stryka eventually moved to Clinton Twp & closed after a couple of years out there. All good things must pass, so I guess I'd better get some of their spumoni soon.

**LongGone06** · January-26-21, 03:25 PM

Originally Posted by jackie5275

I guess I'd better get some of their spumoni soon.

Oh, Jackie, you just stirred my memory a bit. Around 1980/81, I worked at a golf club about an hour's drive away. I ventured down to E. McNichols on a couple of occasions, one of which was to pick up a 5-gallon tub of spumoni ice cream for a party at the golf club. I don't recall after all these years if I went to an ice cream shop or a restaurant. I'm not even sure if there was an Italian restaurant in that area around 1980; but it was certainly somewhere along E. McNichols and may very well have been Alinosi.

**13606Cedargrove** · January-26-21, 04:15 PM

Long Gone: It probably was Alinosi. They advertised "French Ice Cream" but now that my palate is more well travelled, I know now it was definitely gelato. Some East Side restaurants sold it for dessert, too. They were well known and highly regarded.

**LongGone06** · January-26-21, 04:38 PM

Originally Posted by 13606Cedargrove

Long Gone: It probably was Alinosi. They advertised "French Ice Cream" but now that my palate is more well travelled, I know now it was definitely gelato. Some East Side restaurants sold it for dessert, too. They were well known and highly regarded.

Thanks, Cedar. I enjoyed your earlier post.

**Lowell** · January-26-21, 09:23 PM

$600K for that property? It's sitting alone the middle of on an urban prairie. Check out the Google Street View. What am I missing? Is it still functional / functioning for making ice cream? The interior pictures seem to indicate that's possible, but its is likely dated machinery. It has a great brand name but how many people still remember it?

I did visit it a couple of times back in the day. It was a Detroit bucket list must-see place and and Eastside legend.

**DetBill** · January-27-21, 12:04 AM

Originally Posted by Lowell

$600K for that property? It's sitting alone the middle of on an urban prairie. Check out the Google Street View. What am I missing? Is it still functional / functioning for making ice cream? The interior pictures seem to indicate that's possible, but its is likely dated machinery. It has a great brand name but how many people still remember it?

I did visit it a couple of times back in the day. It was a Detroit bucket list must-see place and and Eastside legend.

If that place was in a better part of the city, closer to downtown or Midtown, or in the near suburbs , it would be an absolute gold mine now, that soda fountain bar area is absolutely priceless. It would be so cool to have that open again.

**Satiricalivory** · January-27-21, 01:02 AM

Why on earth are the windows filled in with cinder blocks and why is the brick painted? Could be a great building is those are fixed.

**archfan** · January-27-21, 03:05 AM

It looks like $600K gets you the building and equipment, the wholesale business [["distributed in area grocery stores, reception halls and restaurants"), the recipes, help from the current owner, and a chocolatier who wants to continue working there.

https://www.freep.com/story/news/loc...le/6694626002/

**Maof** · January-27-21, 07:15 AM

Originally Posted by Lowell

$600K for that property? It's sitting alone the middle of on an urban prairie. Check out the Google Street View. What am I missing? Is it still functional / functioning for making ice cream? The interior pictures seem to indicate that's possible, but its is likely dated machinery. It has a great brand name but how many people still remember it?

I did visit it a couple of times back in the day. It was a Detroit bucket list must-see place and and Eastside legend.

Their products are still produced out of this building and two employees are willing to stay on. I can't imagine it opening again in that area as the owner suggest a possibility but, would hate to see the interior go to waste.

**jcole** · January-27-21, 09:33 AM

Is that the only place Alinosi's is made? So when this is sold, will the products cease to exist or are they made elsewhere and whoever stays on will just make product for another company?

**MikeM** · January-27-21, 09:38 AM

Originally Posted by Satiricalivory

Why on earth are the windows filled in with cinder blocks and why is the brick painted? Could be a great building is those are fixed.

This is a rhetorical question, right?

**IrishSpartan** · January-27-21, 10:40 AM

Originally Posted by LongGone06

Oh, Jackie, you just stirred my memory a bit. Around 1980/81, I worked at a golf club about an hour's drive away. I ventured down to E. McNichols on a couple of occasions, one of which was to pick up a 5-gallon tub of spumoni ice cream for a party at the golf club. I don't recall after all these years if I went to an ice cream shop or a restaurant. I'm not even sure if there was an Italian restaurant in that area around 1980; but it was certainly somewhere along E. McNichols and may very well have been Alinosi.

An Italian Restaurant [[i.e.Villanova) was still probably there in 1980 across the street and over a few blocks. Allinosi's is at Goulburn so Villanova was between Dresden and Strasburg along 6 Mile. I don't remember if Villanova had Alllinosi ice cream or not. Some Italians were still remaining in that neighborhood then more north of 6 Mile. Back 7-10 years prior to that time the neighborhood had a significant amount of Italians living around there both north and south of 6 Mile or E. McNichols if you prefer [[few people in the neighborhood referred to it by such).

**One Shot** · January-29-21, 09:26 AM

Originally Posted by Satiricalivory

Why on earth are the windows filled in with cinder blocks and why is the brick painted? Could be a great building is those are fixed.

Beacause it would be broken into and burned!
I'm AMAZED it is still in tact. That place really needs a chance. At the very least the entire contents bought and relocated. Keep all that stuff together!

**pjbear05** · January-30-21, 01:29 PM

Turtle sundaes!

**Satiricalivory** · January-30-21, 02:08 PM

Originally Posted by One Shot

Beacause it would be broken into and burned!
I'm AMAZED it is still in tact. That place really needs a chance. At the very least the entire contents bought and relocated. Keep all that stuff together!

Maybe that was a good reason to brick it up in the 70's and 80's but not now.

Whoever buys it should open up the windows, would make a great neighborhood spot. The corridor might have a lot of vacant lots but it seems there's some pretty full neighborhoods around it that it could draw business from.

**MikeM** · January-30-21, 02:22 PM

Originally Posted by Satiricalivory

Maybe that was a good reason to brick it up in the 70's and 80's but not now.

Whoever buys it should open up the windows, would make a great neighborhood spot. The corridor might have a lot of vacant lots but it seems there's some pretty full neighborhoods around it that it could draw business from.

You need to come visit more often. Fly in, rent a car and drive around sightseeing.

**oladub** · January-30-21, 09:35 PM

There was also an Alinosi on E. Warren a couple of blocks east of Outer Drive.

**IrishSpartan** · January-31-21, 02:48 PM

Originally Posted by Satiricalivory

Maybe that was a good reason to brick it up in the 70's and 80's but not now.

Whoever buys it should open up the windows, would make a great neighborhood spot. The corridor might have a lot of vacant lots but it seems there's some pretty full neighborhoods around it that it could draw business from.

Really?..Pretty full neighborhoods compared to what? The surrounding neighborhoods are not even a shadow of what they once were. The fact they were open to the public until 1991 even on a limited basis was probably too long.

No..they wouldn't have reasons for at least most of the 1970's to go to those extremes with the windows.

**Gistok** · January-31-21, 03:28 PM

Originally Posted by Satiricalivory

Maybe that was a good reason to brick it up in the 70's and 80's but not now.

Whoever buys it should open up the windows, would make a great neighborhood spot. The corridor might have a lot of vacant lots but it seems there's some pretty full neighborhoods around it that it could draw business from.

What neighborhood? You didn't take a Google drive around the area, did you? 75% of the residential and retail neighborhood have either disappeared or are boarded up. In the 1970s and 1980s the area was still vibrant and densely populated.

Now the neighborhood [[in 2 of the poorest zip codes in Detroit, 48234 and 48205) is just a shell of its' former self.

Not a great spot for an Italian Ice Cream shop.

**MikeM** · January-31-21, 03:47 PM

Originally Posted by Gistok

Not a great spot for an Italian Ice Cream shop.

I never set foot in an Alinosi shop but I always figured it was Italian, however they advertised themselves as "Alinosi French Ice Cream Co."

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**jcole** · January-31-21, 03:52 PM

Alinosi's makes the world's best Spumoni, so that's where the Italian comes in

**jiminnm** · January-31-21, 05:04 PM

Originally Posted by Gistok

What neighborhood? You didn't take a Google drive around the area, did you? 75% of the residential and retail neighborhood have either disappeared or are boarded up. In the 1970s and 1980s the area was still vibrant and densely populated.

I agree. I grew up on Waltham near Manning and my parents sold that house in 1990 [[after 40 years there). It was a stout little brick house that was good for awhile, but declined in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The house next door was demoed 2018-2019. The latest Google street view is May 2019 and our house [[it will always be our house) looks ready to be demoed. The maple tree my dad planted 60-65 years looks to still be there.

**jcole** · January-31-21, 06:43 PM

You lived about 5 blocks from my sister on the corner of Manning and Joann in the early to late 60's. Her house is completely gone as well as all of her neighbors' homes. Not even footprints of homes; no basements or foundations showing so it's been a while.There's a small memorial park of some sort there across the street.

Originally Posted by jiminnm

I agree. I grew up on Waltham near Manning and my parents sold that house in 1990 [[after 40 years there). It was a stout little brick house that was good for awhile, but declined in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The house next door was demoed 2018-2019. The latest Google street view is May 2019 and our house [[it will always be our house) looks ready to be demoed. The maple tree my dad planted 60-65 years looks to still be there.