Demolition of former Enzo's Sports Bar in Ann Arbor makes way for new Tim Hortons
The former Enzo’s Sports Bar on the corner of State and Ellsworth roads in Ann Arbor was leveled on Tuesday to prepare the site for a new tenant: Tim Hortons.
The former Enzo's Sports Bar was demolished yesterday to make way for a Tim Hortons.
Photo courtesy of First Martin Corp.
The plans, approved in April, include drive-thru facilities, a parking lot with 21 parking spaces and four bicycle hoops.
It will also leave the property owner, First Martin Corp., with room to build a second retail building on that site.
Tim Hortons is rapidly expanding its southeast Michigan footprint.
Photo courtesy of Tim Hortons
Since Aug. 2011, the Ontario-based coffee shop chain has been rapidly expanding its southeast Michigan footprint, with plans to open six new stores in Washtenaw County.
Including its existing stores on Michigan Avenue in Ypsilanti Township and Michigan Avenue in Saline, Tim Hortons plans to open in the following locations:
- The first floor of Landmark student high-rise in downtown Ann Arbor.
- In the revamped Shell gas station on Ann Arbor-Saline Road.
- A vacant lot at the corner of Hewitt Road and Washtenaw Avenue in Ypsilanti Township.
- Near the corner of James L. Hart Parkway and Huron Street in Ypsilanti Township, just south of Interstate 94.
The chain also signed a deal in April 2011 to open at the site of the former Golden Chef Restaurant in Ann Arbor’s Maple Village, but no plans have been submitted to the city of Ann Arbor yet. A Tim Hortons representative could not be reached for comment for an update.
As of April 1, Tim Hortons operated 4,042 stores and employed 2,288 full-time workers. The company was valued at $7.95 billion based on a Wednesday stock price of $51.29.
Lizzy Alfs is a business reporter for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at 734-623-2584 or email her at lizzyalfs@annarbor.com. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/lizzyalfs.
Comments
jns131
Fri, Sep 14, 2012 : 3:05 a.m.
I am so glad to see that building gone. Although I remember friends working there years ago at the seafood resturaunt. My how times have changed. Timmy will make a nice change to that round about area there. Now, when do I get mine?
Sparty
Thu, Sep 13, 2012 : 5:48 p.m.
And I, for one, will focus on the NEW JOBS that this will bring to Ann Arbor ... although there will surely be those negative Nancy's out there who choose to focus on traffic, wages, or other nonsense. Many jobs at the business as well as to suppliers and distributers (corporate support, advertisers, food delivery truck drivers, and the list goes on and on), income taxes being paid by the business and employees, increased property & unemployment taxes being paid by the business, all are huge improvements if you ask me.
Nancy
Wed, Sep 12, 2012 : 8:43 p.m.
Just what this extremely busy intersection needs, a drive-thru adding more traffic pulling in and out of that area! Can't wait to see how many additional accidents we get over there!
Sparty
Fri, Sep 14, 2012 : 6:01 p.m.
@JNS, because it's been in the news for months.
jns131
Fri, Sep 14, 2012 : 3:06 a.m.
Why do you think a round about is being built there? More interesting folk who have no clue how to maneuver this thing.
Lola
Thu, Sep 13, 2012 : 5:24 a.m.
Don't be such a Negative Nancy. Rod is correct.
Rod Johnson
Thu, Sep 13, 2012 : 2:14 a.m.
Since that intersection is about to be radically reconfigured anyway, I don't think you're really going to be comparing apples to apples there.
tdw
Wed, Sep 12, 2012 : 7:02 p.m.
I'm curious to see how they fit one in at Hewitt and Washtenaw.When it was a Total gas station there did't seem to be much excess room there
jns131
Fri, Sep 14, 2012 : 3:08 a.m.
I drive by there all the time. I keep asking myself the same thing. Although there are trees there and if that is cleared? It will fit. There is land usage back there. Go check it out. I did. Can't wait for our timmy to show up.
John Tuttle
Wed, Sep 12, 2012 : 7:01 p.m.
Because that's just what this town needs - another coffee shop. :p
Ignatz
Wed, Sep 12, 2012 : 6:27 p.m.
The Canadians are coming, the Canadians are coming!
jns131
Fri, Sep 14, 2012 : 3:09 a.m.
Score one for the Cannuck invasion.
Blue Marker
Wed, Sep 12, 2012 : 5:54 p.m.
Does anyone remember Great Lakes Shipping Company? Back in the 80's it was a excellent steak house in this location. I believe the people who own the Red Hawk were part of GLSC but I'm not sure.
jns131
Fri, Sep 14, 2012 : 3:09 a.m.
An end of an era I say. I had friends who worked there. So sad to see it go but times they are a changing.
noreaster
Thu, Sep 13, 2012 : 1:26 p.m.
Great Lakes Shipping Company had the best Nachos Deluxe. There may be better ones out there, but I will forever consider GLSC's a gold standard.
a2miguy
Wed, Sep 12, 2012 : 6:31 p.m.
That's it! I was racking my brain trying to remember and knew it was Great Lakes something-or-other. Thanks for clearing that up! As I recall they had outstanding seafood as well. I went to GLSC only a couple times, as I was a "poor college student" then and that was one of the best restaurants in town so it was a special occasion type place for me.
Ross
Wed, Sep 12, 2012 : 4:26 p.m.
Gee whiz, and only 2.1 miles from the OTHER new Tim Horton's coming to this side of town (Ann Arbor-Saline and Eisenhower. Too bad their food is garbage.
johnnya2
Wed, Sep 12, 2012 : 10:02 p.m.
A2 Saline and Eisenhower and Ellsworth and State Street are WORLDS apart in the fast food business. There are two McDonalds within that same distance and they do not draw the same people. If a person is looking for a morning cup of coffee and donuts, they will NOT go to Eisenehower and A2 Saline to get them if the State Street location was not there. Understanding buyers habits is more important than how close a location is to another. As for their food, I can not comment since I abhor coffee and have not eaten any food from there in over a decade when I traveled to Canada fairly frequently for work
Brad
Wed, Sep 12, 2012 : 5:29 p.m.
Good coffee and excellent bagels. It's no Starbucks, and that's a *good* thing.
Hmm
Wed, Sep 12, 2012 : 4:36 p.m.
Yeah I was thinking that same thing, very close to their other location. But if the downtown area of A2 can have three starbucks I guess three timmaahs can work too
Hmm
Wed, Sep 12, 2012 : 4:20 p.m.
Timmahh!
lugemachine
Wed, Sep 12, 2012 : 3:47 p.m.
I hope to live to see the day when a Tim Horton's comes to town... complete with apostrophe.
Joe
Wed, Sep 12, 2012 : 5:44 p.m.
"The company had removed the apostrophe after signs using the apostrophe were considered to be breaking the language sign laws of the Province of Quebec in 1993" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Hortons
Lola
Wed, Sep 12, 2012 : 3:50 p.m.
Sarcasm will get you no where. There is no apostrophe in the name of the business. It may not be grammatically correct but that's the way they chose to spell it.
Joe
Wed, Sep 12, 2012 : 3:44 p.m.
Would have liked another sports bar there. No idea why they can't stay open in that location. Lot's of business parks around, happy hour was always crazy at Enzo's, and when it was Gallagher's. Glad to see the building gone, at any rate.
johnnya2
Wed, Sep 12, 2012 : 9:58 p.m.
The owner of the land was and still is First Martin (Bill Martin former AD at UM). They still own the property. Tim Hortons is a TENANT. They were probably right to hold on to the land. That area seems to have a lot of new activity with this building, the new strip mall next to Speedway and the Costco. I would also say that all the sports bars in that location failed due to major mismanagement. A big crowd does not make a restaurant profitable.
a2migrl
Wed, Sep 12, 2012 : 6:28 p.m.
My understanding is the owner of the land would raise the rent so high that staying there was not feasible. That is why it changed so much/often. At the time that person/entity would not sell the land thinking they could just keep doing business as usual.
bobslowson
Wed, Sep 12, 2012 : 3:39 p.m.
FINALLY!!!