Closed: Kerby's Koney Island on Whittaker in Ypsilanti Township 1 year after shifting from Ram's Horn
The 180-seat Kerby’s Koney Island on Whittaker Road in Ypsilanti Township apparently has closed, almost a year to the day after owner Moe Chami opened it.
Kerby’s Koney Island, the only franchise of the corporate-owned chain that has 24 locations in Metro Detroit, was Chami’s second shot at trying to make a go of a restaurant at the site in front of the Paint Creek Crossing shopping center. He opened the coney island after folding a Ram’s Horn restaurant. No one answered the phone at Kerby’s Koney Island and Chami could not be reached for comment.
But the restaurant took down its sign, turned off its lights and posted a closing sign on its front door earlier this week, said Richard Glaze, general manager of Stony Creek Koney Island, located nearby. He said his coney island has been getting Kerby’s traffic all week.
Two weeks ago, the electronic sign in front of Kerby's was gone, said Lee Phillips, co-owner of Stony Creek Koney. Then last Sunday, a company that brokers used restaurant equipment called to see if he was interested in equipment from Kerby's.
"That was kind of a indicator that something was happening," Phillips said.
The closing comes as a surprise to Kerby’s Koney Island corporate headquarters. Jennie Hancock, who works in the company’s office, said she thought the restaurant was still open.
“I mailed them a package two days ago,” she said. No one else from the company was available Friday for comment.
It hasn’t been a lucky spot for Chami. He bought the Ram’s Horn franchise in fall 2009 from Sam and Nabil Berry, who had been evicted from two Big Boy restaurants they owned in Washtenaw County, leaving a trail of 75 unhappy employees who were surprised by the sudden closing.
They organized a boycott of the Ypsilanti Township Ram’s Horn, which the Berry family still owned. Chami said he didn’t know about the the boycott when he purchased the franchise from the Berry family.
The boycott continued, despite the change in ownership, and Chami said at the time he was never able to recover. He closed the Ram’s Horn after less than six months. He blamed the boycott along with the weak economy and a menu that was too large and expensive for the closing.
He said at the time he hoped the lower price points of Kerby’s would be more successful, and that he hoped to open a second Kerby’s in Washtenaw County.
Comments
wait.think
Tue, Mar 8, 2011 : 1:50 p.m.
I agree that a Panera would be wonderful in the Paint Creek Crossing, and many people I talk to agree with that. Don't get your hopes up, however. Panera was "invited" to check out the area and we did not measure up to their five-mile-radius income-per-capita critera. In simpler words, they feel Ypsilanti is too poor of a community to make a go of it here. Maybe a write-in/email campaign to Panera headquarters would be persuasive, but you can't use their website Contact Us drop-down window because they have stopped taking suggestions for locations through their website, and I didn't keep trying to find an address after that. I like the idea of a "large" restaurant in the area - my choices would be a BBQ place (Famous Dave's) or a steak place (Texas Roadhouse, Logan's???) - anyone want to lead that campaign?
IheartYpsi
Wed, Mar 9, 2011 : 7:33 p.m.
That's interesting information re: the five-mile radius. It's also surprising because Panera isn't an expensive restaurant. Seems like that location could easily support it. Do you know what their per-capita income requirement is?
matt
Sun, Mar 6, 2011 : 11:11 a.m.
They need something there that's not already represented in this area, like a Sonics, or Johnny Rockets, Fuddruckers, etc.
Shadeau
Sat, Mar 5, 2011 : 10:29 p.m.
Somewhat off topic, but does anyone know if the Fattoush Grill at Washtenaw and Hewitt has closed?
Shadeau
Sun, Mar 6, 2011 : 3:32 a.m.
I know I saw it open just recently, but it was dark on Friday night and the phone went to a generic voice mail.
Soothslayer
Sun, Mar 6, 2011 : 12:38 a.m.
I was there about 2 weeks ago and it was open. Is it the same people that used to be across the street a bit?
Spyker
Sat, Mar 5, 2011 : 8:16 p.m.
I hope the long delayed rear entrances to the Paint Creek Shopping Center will aleviate many of the traffic problems. Shoppers turning north will now have a stop light if they use the rear access road) and shoppers traveling south on Stoney Creek will no longer need to exit on to Whittaker Rd first. But there still needs to be more parking! Kroger and Aubree's customers nearly fill the lot. I can't imagine how bad things would be if the empty store fronts contained successful small businesses.
Soothslayer
Sun, Mar 6, 2011 : 12:37 a.m.
Anyone know why the other entrances are delayed in opening? No funding to plow the road or what?
sailor67
Sat, Mar 5, 2011 : 8 p.m.
A bit of history about this site: When the original conceptual plans were submitted, that outlot was supposed to have an upscale, sitdown restaurant ...."Steak n' Ale" to be exact. (Note: The front entrance would have been oriented toward the north.) Unfortunately, Steak n' Ale ran into $$ problems so the developer courted several other chain restaurants, including Red Lobster and Red, White & Blues BBQ, but was unable to secure a long-term lease. So the plans were revised to downscale the building, turn it 90 degrees so the entrance faces east (to increase visibility from Whittaker Road) and relocate the building closer to Whittaker Road. In doing so, they constructed a smaller, less-formal restaurant building with access and parking problems that would be only suitable for casual dining.
John B.
Sat, Mar 5, 2011 : 5:57 p.m.
Folks, it's highly unlikely you'll see a Panera at that location in anything like the foreseeable future. The costs of entry to start one are so high (in the low Millions of Dollars) that you have to have a nearly-guaranteed high return on investment to open one, and it ain't happenin' at that spot, sorry. Panera was the St. Louis Bread Company in their first incarnation, and they went bankrupt because they allowed too many under-capitalized franchisees to open stores that were marginal in one or more ways, and the whole thing imploded. They learned their lesson well, and now EVERYONE in the fast-food business wants to either be or emulate Panera.
cmb
Sat, Mar 5, 2011 : 4:48 p.m.
I was a regular at Kerby's. I'll miss it. The friendly staff was part of why I went there, and I adore their coneys. I'd love to see a Panera there. They have great food, coffee and pastries. With all the traffic going by on a daily basis, it's a great location. ANYTHING but another Coney, Pizza, Mexican or Chinese place, please. We need a little more variety here.
iCraig
Sat, Mar 5, 2011 : 3:28 p.m.
Took my sons there one day last fall and the smell was so bad that we took our food to go. The wait staff was excellent though.
Turd Ferguson
Sat, Mar 5, 2011 : 1:34 p.m.
Stoney Creek is doing well. I suspect a better parking arraingement over there? The parking situation blows around that building. Perhaps Kroger buys the building and bulldozes it for some parking real estate? It was a nightmare getting in around that building too. Planning = Fail
Soothslayer
Sun, Mar 6, 2011 : 12:34 a.m.
YES, a Kroger Gas Station would be awesome there.
Rob MI
Sat, Mar 5, 2011 : 2:02 p.m.
I'd guess that's not Kroger's decision to make, but Paint Creek's owners, who decided they wanted an outbuilding there in the first place--recall that the plaza came first, the outlot development second.
Rob MI
Sat, Mar 5, 2011 : 12:41 p.m.
THREE Coney Islands located on the same road within one mile wouldn't have worked in any location, much less this one, which, I've always felt wouldn't have the population numbers to even support two such restaurants. I predicted that one of them wouldn't last on these very message boards by recollection, and may have given the fatality less than one year. While I was a fan of Kirby's as a chain, I've grown to prefer Leo's in this area and have conscientiously thrown nearly all my "Coney Island money" to them to ensure that at least one of the three places would stay open. This site is now 0-3, with a terrible Baker's Square, a boycotted-by-others (but good) Ram's Horn, and a decent-but-not-as-good-as-the-other-options Kirby's. I still think a full-service or fast-casual restaurant, despite the conditions inherent to the location, can succeed here. I just hope that the owners of whatever comes in next (if anything does) will have enough brains to do their research. This means: NO ice cream shoppe (poor Hershey's). NO coffee shop (we already have Primo and Starbucks). NO Coney Island. NO sandwich shops (Subway and Rio Wraps). NO pizza (Cottage Inn, Hungry Howie's, Aubree's, Jets). NO Chinese (Great Wall). I would throw a fast-casual Mexican place (Chipotle, Qdoba, Moe's) in the mix and do like Andy's Panera idea, though note that someone was trying to develop a bagel stand (or some such) on the southeast corner of Huron/Whittaker/Huron River Dr. before getting shot down by the Township because of zoning issues, and a successful change in that proposal, coupled with a Panera right across the street, would doom one of them to failure.
matt
Sat, Mar 5, 2011 : 8:13 p.m.
There's already a decent mexican restaurant in that mall (the name escapes me) and Rio Wraps is down the street, i think there are just too many restaurants in that area already. Aubrees has good food, as does Stoney Creek. The next place would have to be something that's not currently in the area, like a Sonics or Johnny Rockets or Fuddruckers, or even a 5 Guys Burgers like the one that just opened in Ann Arbor.
John B.
Sat, Mar 5, 2011 : 6 p.m.
Panera would crush a bagel place in short order.
Soothslayer
Sat, Mar 5, 2011 : 1:37 p.m.
Panera's is a safe bet, there's nothing like it around and we need an alternative that offers more than bagels (please).
Soothslayer
Sat, Mar 5, 2011 : 11:41 a.m.
It made no sense to open up either a Rams Horn (yeewwww) or yet another coney island at this location. When I'm in the area Leo's just down the street bests Stoney Creek and Kerby's (I stopped in a few times) in all respects. Here's a free $1M idea: Stoney Creek owners should close and open up a Panera franchise there and then also take over the former Kirby's and convert it to an Olgas. Your welcome.
glimmertwin
Sun, Mar 6, 2011 : 9:08 a.m.
Panera franchise? In order for that to happen, the franchisee must purchase an entire region. One restaurant is not an option - you must agree to open several as deemed by the parent company. It is a huge investment.
John B.
Sat, Mar 5, 2011 : 5:45 p.m.
AJ: Do you know what it costs to open a Panera franchise (if you can even be lucky enough to be offered an opportunity to do so)? Last I heard, it required $2 Million in cash, plus an irrevocable line of credit of something like $10 Million. Huge numbers. How many local wannabe restaurant entrepreneurs would you think fit that profile?
Heardoc
Sat, Mar 5, 2011 : 2:48 p.m.
one word here--- DUMB.
glimmertwin
Sat, Mar 5, 2011 : 11:37 a.m.
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this out. There are too many of this type of restaurants. Combine that with a terrible parking lot (thanks, Township) and this is what you get. My bet is it won't be long and other businesses will be pulling out as well of this complex as well.
Ignatz
Sat, Mar 5, 2011 : 11:37 a.m.
Drat. That was my usual Sunday breakfast. I liked the staff and the food was good, too.
BobbyTarsus
Sat, Mar 5, 2011 : 11:16 a.m.
Sad. I've eaten there a couple of times. They had good food.