D/town Restaurant closing Immediately [Seldom Blues]

[Lowell]

So long Seldom Blues, we hardly knew ya.

[bartock]

Obviously this failed for two reasons. GM is a greedy landlord and the DEGC was stingy with loans to help a struggling small business out.

I couldn't disagree with this more, but perhaps it is a cheeky statement. If GM doesn't want to deal with a bankrupt business with history of owner faiure despite repeated financial support for his ventures and at a reduced lease rate to boot, I don't blame them.

I read an article not long ago about Matt Prentis. From what I understand, he basically sold his business [[interest in all - 5? - of his restaurants, which are actually no longer his restaurants) to avoid having to close some or all and leave a bunch of people out of work. He is, now, an employee at "his" Coach Insignia restaurant, managing the kitchen. working long hours and, you know, making due. They have struggled, but stayed afloat. I don't know that he ever received a DEGC dime, and I certainly doubt if he did that he took advantage of it. Hopefully, GM will bring in a similarly-minded restauranteer to take over what is an awesome space.

[Zacha341]

Yep, that floor was a bit much for elder ladies to navigate. Nice photos. I hope someone get's the spot fast. It would be tragic for it to sit empty.....

Regardless of all the issues surrounding it, it is too bad this pleasant venue has failed.






The goofiest part of SB was the inclined floor of its lobby. I would love to have been a fly on the wall when this was decided -- it seemed to me like a living lawsuit.

[Hermod]

Those pix sure don't look "upscale" to me. It isn't what I would drive out of my way for.

[bailey]

I couldn't disagree with this more, but perhaps it is a cheeky statement. If GM doesn't want to deal with a bankrupt business with history of owner faiure despite repeated financial support for his ventures and at a reduced lease rate to boot, I don't blame them.

My comment was sarcasm. It was directed at the tired meme that seems to be repeated often around here that every time a restaurant or high end grocer fails it's due to the landlord being greedy.

[bartock]

My comment was sarcasm. It was directed at the tired meme that seems to be repeated often around here that every time a restaurant or high end grocer fails it's due to the landlord being greedy.

Thought so. Still learning.

[bailey]

Thought so. Still learning.

my fault for not distinguishing as sarcasm.

[LodgeDodger]

Yep, that floor was a bit much for elder ladies to navigate. Nice photos. I hope someone get's the spot fast. It would be tragic for it to sit empty.....

*whew* Could have been embarrassing...

I would love to see a Palms Restaurant take over that space. There was one in Troy, but if folded. I believe it was because of the location--strange.

Palms is one of my fave places--anywhere!

[bartock]

*whew* Could have been embarrassing...

I would love to see a Palms Restaurant take over that space. There was one in Troy, but if folded. I believe it was because of the location--strange.

Palms is one of my fave places--anywhere!

I think a non-seasonal Beach Grill [[SCS) type of place would do well there.


Although, I am the one who suggested a McDonald's in Campus Martius, so....

[Detroitnerd]

I think the comment about "upscale" dining is a good one. Why are these restaurateurs determined to operate upscale restaurants in Detroit? Is it because they want to get the business when George Jackson comes in to meet with the demolition men? Do they know their market? In times when people are tightening their belts and corporate accounts have dwindled, why open an upscale joint in the first place?

[LodgeDodger]

I think the comment about "upscale" dining is a good one. Why are these restaurateurs determined to operate upscale restaurants in Detroit? Is it because they want to get the business when George Jackson comes in to meet with the demolition men? Do they know their market? In times when people are tightening their belts and corporate accounts have dwindled, why open an upscale joint in the first place?

Upscale restaurants are important. Thing is, unless they're really upscale [[food AND price) they won't last.

[Detroitnerd]

Upscale restaurants are important. Thing is, unless they're really upscale [[food AND price) they won't last.

Yes, but opening FOUR upscale restaurants downtown? [[I wonder how much money he was loaned to embark on this insane plan!) Why not diversify?

But, yes, the quality was spotty at SB. The advice I always had for anybody who ate there was, "Stick to the beef."

[ejames01]

This isn't a surprise to me. The quality definitely went down in the last few years. But I still fell in love and had my heart broken there!

[Boo Stinking Boo]

I heard a few rumours last year about this happening. The writing soon became stuck on the wall when I received a free dinner gift card from my dentist worth $25 to eat at SB. Sadly, I never used it, I forgot about it! Darn it

[stasu1213]

Seldom Blues goes down. Does everything that Mildred Gaddis touches, go down in flames?

Mildred Gaddis promotes these "Upscaled" restaurant where the prices are far out of reach to most of her Detroit callers. I had never heard her broadcast from an middle scale restaurant which has the common person as customers. Talk about looking out for the poor residents of Detroit which makes up a large portion of her listening audience.

[bailey]

Mildred Gaddis promotes these "Upscaled" restaurant where the prices are far out of reach to most of her Detroit callers. I had never heard her broadcast from an middle scale restaurant which has the common person as customers. Talk about looking out for the poor residents of Detroit which makes up a large portion of her listening audience.

If you were a greedy slob and ran a two bit local gab fest on local a.m radio, and restaurant proprietors were going to give you free meals for broadcasting out of thier restaurant, are you going to go broadcast from The Clique or the winner of restaurant of the year?

[Enduro]

I'm sorry to hear about Seldom Blues. Although when I saw their menu and prices, I never went. It was too low on my "upscale" checklist which is difficult to complete on my salary.

What I won't miss is Lomas Brown begging people to come in every Sunday on WDIV's Sports Final Edition after his crappy segment [[the whole show misses Fred McCloud but I digress).

[DetroitArmy]

I realize this is the running joke around here, but anyone catch this recent blurb

"
While Seldom Blues sits empty Matt Prentice pleads his case
Posted 4/9/2010 10:52 AM EDT on crainsdetroit.com

While GM mulls over whom the new tenant will be in the former Seldom Blues space, Matt Prentice, owner of Coach Insignia, No. VI Chophouse, Shiraz and about nine other restaurants, is working hard to lock it down.
I talked with Prentice this week to check in on the happenings of the space and he had some pretty interesting things to say about the condition of the restaurant, his formal bid to GM and what he would do with Seldom Blues if he gets in.

Before we get ahead ourselves, Prentice said GM is talking to the likes of The Cheesecake Factory and P.F. Chang’s as well as a myriad of other local and national operators, so it is going to take some time before a tenant is named.

However, Prentice said he pitched the idea of opening a Northern Lakes Seafood and Sushi Bar to GM.

In a prior conversation, Prentice said Detroit needs a real fish house; one to replace the irreplaceable Joe Muer’s.

But Prentice said he was unsure if his bid would be accepted.

He submitted his idea earlier this month but told me the space needs a lot of work before its ready for use.

“I don’t know that this is going to be us,� he said. “My offer wasn’t that great because of the inherent cost of reopening in that space.�

In fact, he said the kitchen is down right nasty.
“There is a bad vermin issue and a horrific sewer gnat issue. There was a cloud of them over the dish washing machine,� he said.

This is an excerpt from a letter he sent to George Jackson, CEO of the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation, which describes the condition of the former Seldom Blues space.

“I toured Seldom Blues with GM executives last week. Frankly, for a six year old restaurant, it was a disaster. Coach Insignia is the same age but looks nearly brand new.

It was obvious that the management team knew nothing about the basics of restaurant management. Kitchen equipment, for example, looked to be 30 years old.�
Prentice said it will take at least $500,000 to bring the Seldom space back to life.

He is calling on well-known designer Ron Rea to draw up concepts for the huge space.

“I’m usually pretty good at laying out restaurants but I know when to admit that I am out of my league,� Prentice said. "

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