Caucus Club Closing After 60 Years

[bailey]

Unfortunately the days for this type of establishment have been long gone. If they were willing to change with the times they may have been able to make a go of it. When you have tuxedo-ed waiters during lunch, high prices, and reliance on the smokey bar atmosphere it does not go well when today's office worker does not have smokes, drinks, and is paid comparatively less than what they used to be paid.

exactly. It was not this:

Owner Mary Belloni, who bought the restaurant out of bankruptcy in 1993 after working there as a waitress, told the Free Press today that rising costs imposed by the new owner of the Penobscot Building, Toronto-based Triple Properties, have made it impossible for her to continue.

I kinda find it hard to believe that a landlord would rather run a 60 year old, landmark business out of business and be stuck with a really hard to fill vacancy, instead of working with them on the rent. I'm thinking they did...and have for many years and this place just couldn't hold it together for all the reasons mentioned by DP.

[Honky Tonk]

Maybe they'll park a food truck in front of it?

[Melocoton]

I kinda find it hard to believe that a landlord would rather run a 60 year old, landmark business out of business and be stuck with a really hard to fill vacancy, instead of working with them on the rent. I'm thinking they did...and have for many years and this place just couldn't hold it together for all the reasons mentioned by DP.

Why do you find it hard to believe? One hears these stories all the time in Detroit, about landlords, especially absentee ones, uninterested or unmotivated in filling their spaces.

[bailey]

Why do you find it hard to believe? One hears these stories all the time in Detroit, about landlords, especially absentee ones, uninterested or unmotivated in filling their spaces.

I find it hard to believe because it seems to be the excuse every. damn. time. a place closes or can't get off the ground. It's never about the product, or about the change in consumer tastes, or location itself, it's always the evil landlord.

[iheartthed]

I find it hard to believe because it seems to be the excuse every. damn. time. a place closes or can't get off the ground. It's never about the product, or about the change in consumer tastes, or location itself, it's always the evil landlord.

Aren't we talking about the same landlord who wanted to raze a historic building for a parking structure two weeks ago? Why is it hard to believe that he doesn't give a fuck about a historic restaurant closing?

[bailey]

Aren't we talking about the same landlord who wanted to raze a historic building for a parking structure two weeks ago? Why is it hard to believe that he doesn't give a fuck about a historic restaurant closing?

I don't know, kinda apples and oranges isn't it? Illitch ripped down the Madison for a parking lot, but you don't see him running Da Eduardos out of the Fox over astronomical rent.

What I'm saying I doubt the rent was THE singular factor that killed a 60 year "institution".

Perhaps the "increase" by the landlord was simply a decision to to stop subsidizing the place with below market rent? After all, it was a Detroit "institution" it should be able to pay full freight right?

[Detroitnerd]

Aren't we talking about the same landlord who wanted to raze a historic building for a parking structure two weeks ago? Why is it hard to believe that he doesn't give a fuck about a historic restaurant closing?

Yeah, it's easy to believe the old management had a hands-off approach if CC stayed so long. And the new owner likely doesn't treasure Detroit's history as much as we do -- after all, he's an outsider.

But I wouldn't be surprised if he just wanted them out, thinking somebody would come in with a newer, fresher dining concept.