Squares Restaurant in downtown Ann Arbor closes 'for summer vacation'
Squares Restaurant in downtown Ann Arbor is closed — and it's unclear when it will reopen.
(Editor's note: See also, Big Boy's @burger restaurant closes on East Liberty Street in Ann Arbor)
Squares Restaurant on Liberty Street in downtown Ann Arbor is closed "for summer vacation," according to a sign on the door and its website.
The restaurant opened in December 2010 at 241 E. Liberty St., on the block between South Fourth Avenue and South Fifth Avenue in the Liberty Plaza building.
The sign on the door does not announce a reopening date.
Scott Nail, director of operations for Squares Restaurant, told AnnArbor.com last year that the restaurant planned to open a second location in Canton eventually.
However, the second location never opened, and the future of Squares' Ann Arbor restaurant is unclear.
Nail could not be reached for comment regarding the restaurant’s temporary closing.
The owner of the building is the Oxford Companies. Other tenants in the building include Afternoon Delight, Antelope Antiques & Coins and Bella Rosie.
Deb Pearson, agent for Bluestone Realty Advisors and a listing agent for the building, said she is unsure of the restaurant’s status.
“We really don’t know what’s going on,” she said. “We just learned of the sign on the door, and we are trying to figure that out.”
Restaurants that previously occupied the 2,800-square-foot space include Chinese restaurant Dinersty and Yoshi’s Restaurant.
Nail said last year that the East Liberty spot was a great location for a restaurant.
“There are the parking garage construction projects and the post office across the street,” Nail said. “I think we’ve got a great venue here.”
The trademark for Squares Restaurant is, “Always fresh, all the time,” he said.
The restaurant serves sandwiches on square flatbread, and also offers items like omelets and salads.
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
Drew Nage
Tue, Jul 5, 2011 : 11:29 p.m.
Dear Ann Arbor; The restaurant is closed for good! Scott Nail was the only positive, Mr Nail came in at the tail end of the opening operation all of the major decision were all ready done by the owner "I will buy the business was his marching orders!" The people of Ann Arbor are to smart for that! I am glad not for the people who lost there jobs there were many! But for an egotistical man who thought he knew the restaurant world! I am the ultamit consumer he use to spill! But _____ you cant do this and survive! we stress to him! Don't worry about money I have tons he spouted! He fed his staff with so much BS! Are you ready to become rich! He empowered everyone with false hope! All he was A 3 card Monty game straight out of Jersey! I wish I could say at the end of the day he left Ann Arbor with his ass handed to him, In reality he left months ago in his fancy expensive car! with a big fat tax write off to boot! Sometimes If you think you can or If you think you cant! Doesn't matter when the spoiled kid on the block, Takes his ball and goes home!
Fredric
Thu, Jun 30, 2011 : 9:42 p.m.
I really question if the place will ever reopen, I have eaten at this place one time and was not impressed with the Food!
G. Orwell
Thu, Jun 30, 2011 : 11:47 a.m.
They're offerings were limited and nothing special. If you;re going to offer one dish, it better be outstanding. Plus, they were competing with Clover Leaf and Afternoon Delight. Two established businesses that offer far more. The huge investment put into the restaurant might also have been a factor.
avida2reader
Wed, Jun 29, 2011 : 4:23 p.m.
Sorry but this place was doomed from the start. When they were still in construction the guy would come in to Afternoon Delight wearing his T-shirt and the fact that he didn't GET that opening down the street from a place that already does GOOD, fresh food for cheaper is a pretty big indicator of the business "plan" they did. And any place that bases its entire concept on a SHAPE is not about good food - sorry. Wrong idea and wrong town to open up in.
Kal
Wed, Jun 29, 2011 : 1:03 p.m.
They aren't closing for the summer, unless by summer you mean forever and we know, in Michigan, that summer doesn't last forever. A number of people have talked about this location as being inherently bad but I think it has more to do with the types of restaurants opening here. Why would you open a middle-eastern restaurant less than a block away from Jerusalem Garden (Yoshi's) and then a sandwich shop across the hall from Afternoon Delight (Squares)? Doesn't anyone do market research anymore?
Gaboo
Tue, Jun 28, 2011 : 6:03 p.m.
Who closed for "summer vacation" three weeks before Art Fair? Especially when Art Fair is right in front of their business?
Goofus
Tue, Jun 28, 2011 : 1:48 p.m.
I think its a slap in the face to townies and people who live here year-round when businesses close down for "summer vacation". One more reason not to patronize their businesses... And this also means you, S'keeps! I'm sure it won't work well for Squares, considering they are so off the student radar anyway, tho.
Karen
Tue, Jun 28, 2011 : 12:07 p.m.
My husband I really enjoyed Square's as a place to get a quick inexpensive healthy meal. I hope to see them re-open.
bunnyabbot
Tue, Jun 28, 2011 : 4:57 a.m.
what you didn't see lizzy was the moving truck and people packing up equipment in a hurry. Summer vacation? nope. They won't be back, no business like this can afford to be closed that many days. their price point was too high. they also had too many workers standing around (yet were slow). Bleeding money I would say.
David Paris
Tue, Jun 28, 2011 : 2:56 a.m.
I really enjoyed a recent meal at a jam-packed Afternoon Delight recently, where I could gaze across the way at an empty Squares, almost brought a tear to my eye.
Terrin
Tue, Jun 28, 2011 : 1:47 a.m.
I am surprised by @burger, but not so much Squares. The food was expensive and the location was not that good in my view. It was quite a distance from Central Campus. Further, it wasn't really easy to see what was there.
smokeblwr
Tue, Jun 28, 2011 : 12:30 a.m.
I think a great idea for an AA restaurant would be to serve some chickens raised in our backyards as well a mishmash of cultural food that is confusing but organic and makes the patron feel more diverse and worldly than the people eating at Five Dudes. They could charge $25 a meal and call it Blingermunz.
Les Gov
Mon, Jun 27, 2011 : 10:20 p.m.
On the day they opened I told Squares their price point was too high....service was too slow. Would they listen? No...now they are gone. Blue Tractor is the place to be. $2.95 Monday burgers.....how can you beat that in Ann Arbor. When the burgers are cooked right...they are some of the best in AA. (Although the last couple of times the burgers were over cooked. So me sure to tell them not to over cook them.)
DBH
Tue, Jun 28, 2011 : 2:15 a.m.
Blue Tractor/Cafe Habana (they share a kitchen/prep space and are considered part of the same operation) had 3 critical violations and 12 noncritical violations during their health department inspection a couple of months ago. I'll pass on either restaurant.
A2comments
Mon, Jun 27, 2011 : 11:39 p.m.
We tried Blue Tractor, with their Monday special, and were unimpressed. Read review on Trip Advisor.
jhammer
Mon, Jun 27, 2011 : 10:03 p.m.
@burger and Squares were two average choices in a town full of good (but too many) options. Turns out, capitalism works after all.
RTFM
Mon, Jun 27, 2011 : 9:23 p.m.
Why does the picture say "Now Open"
Jon Saalberg
Mon, Jun 27, 2011 : 9:20 p.m.
Call me crazy, but basing your restaurant concept on the shape of your dishes is....odd. And apparently, even Ann Arborites, who sometimes relish the unique and just plain weird, didn't get this idea at all.
Mark
Mon, Jun 27, 2011 : 9:04 p.m.
Maybe us folks that pack our lunches on most days rather than spend $50 - $200/week on eating out are to blame. So much for trickle down economics.
EightySeven
Mon, Jun 27, 2011 : 9:01 p.m.
Nail said "a great location for a restaurant" spoken like a true real estate agent. It was a awful spot tucked away and not even close to other restaurants. As far as I can say out of way out of mind.
Macabre Sunset
Mon, Jun 27, 2011 : 8:56 p.m.
I read just a few minutes ago that Measles is making a comeback. Oh, wait, that's not an Ann Arbor restaurant.
CynicA2
Mon, Jun 27, 2011 : 8:29 p.m.
They can join Scorekeepers on Maynard St.... which I see is "Closed for the Summer", as well. Not sure what this bodes for their respective futures, but it's probably not happening because they have too MUCH business. Must be another sign of the Great Recovery those fabulous forecasters at the UM were blathering about a few months ago. I'm not sure I'd want to bet on all of them reopening in the fall.
Brian M.
Mon, Jun 27, 2011 : 8:16 p.m.
Another restaurant that didn't compete at its price point. Do people realize how well you can do for yourself in Ann Arbor with ~$8-10 for a meal? Squares offered nowhere near enough food for the money and I just didn't think it was very good. I'll be surprised if they come back. That area is also just really tough as a destination in terms of foot traffic. I don't know what it is. Frankly I liked Yoshi's a bit more than Squares.
Roy Munson
Mon, Jun 27, 2011 : 7:40 p.m.
@burger, now this? They are forcing me to bring my lunch to work now. Although I wasn't a fan of Squares at all.
Lauren McLeod
Mon, Jun 27, 2011 : 7:46 p.m.
Seriously? I'm pretty sure the closing of these two spots will not lead to the end of you dining out at lunch time. You should consider the many delicious and affordable alternatives in that same immediate area. Earthen Jar, Jerusalem Garden, Tio's, Afternoon Delight, etc ... all no more than a block from @burger or Squares.