OT: Favorite Local Businesses That No Longer Exist? (AA or Elsewhere)
Hey everyone! Figured the MGoBlog community is just the type of place that would love this...
I have a friend who recently opened a new branch of his t-shirt company exclusively dedicated to commemorating defunct local businesses, whether it be restaurants, stores, movie theaters, arcades, rinks, ballparks/arenas/stadiums — you name it.
So...curious to hear what everyone's favorites are? Whether it's a nostalgic place you remember from your hometown or a place you frequented in your college days, shout em out! He might even cook up some shirt designs for you to order.
NOTE: It MUST be a local business that is no longer in operation. There are already great ways to buy gear supporting current Ann Arbor businesses, including a sponsor of this site. Seth's Ann Arbor Institutions series from Fall of 2020 (and the shirts that came with it) was some of my favorite stuff the blog has ever produced. This is just for the ghosts of Ann Arbor business past!
My first job was at Bill Knapps.
That's the whole story.
I also worked at Bill Knapp's!
Was during my junior/senior year at Farmington Hills Harrison High School.
Early/mid '80's at Orchard Lake and 12 Mile Road in Farmington Hills.
I was their fastest and most dedicated dishwasher. Showed up on time and stayed until the job was done. They put me on the shifts that were too busy for one dishwasher but not busy enough to have two on duty. Sunday lunch rush was a bitch.
The lead manager passed me over for a promotion to salads and soups and promoted one of the less-effective workers. The assistant manager was Jewish (I'm Jewish; he was hired before the lead manager so had been there longer), and he admitted to me that it was because the lead manager was anti-semitic. So, that was nice. I promptly quit.
OT response, but if you graduated from Harrison in ‘85, I assume you know the Turnquist family. I was good friends (kind of dated) with Sandy, who graduated in ‘85 but also knew her older brothers who both played football there.
I was also class of '85. Definitely knew Sandy. Very nice person, if I recall correctly.
I was a busboy, didn't stay long enough to get promoted-college intervened. Kalamazoo/West Main location for me.
$3.35 / hour minimum wage
Shirt for this already done above!
BILL KNAPP’S: https://www.hometownvintagetees.com/product-page/bill-knapp-s-flint-mi
Borders
Campus Pinball (South U) and Arcade Five (Church St.). Yes I know that Pinball Pete's is in the old Campus Pinball location but if you grew up in Ann Arbor in the '70s you know that it's not the same.
P.S. The best machine at Campus when I was 10 years old in 1973? "Triple Action" (not a porn movie, get your minds out of the gutter). YMMV. Cheers.
Bell’s Pizza and Borders.
First one already done above!
BELL'S PIZZA, AA: https://www.hometownvintagetees.com/product-page/bell-s-pizza-ann-arbor-mi
One of my best friends was conceived at Maude's, but I've never personally been there.
My favorite place I've actually frequented was Leopold Bros. They understood what a real microbrewery should look like. Such a gem.
Leopold's was a great spot. Long communal tables, every board game you could imagine, and great drinks. Thursday nights were flip-the-coin nights for a time, where your beer would be half off if you called heads or tails correctly. The Leopold Bros. actually make some very high end stuff out of their Colorado location but I don't think it's for sale in Michigan.
Totally agree. Apparently the brothers are originally from CO. Do you know why they picked AA to set up shop in the beginning?
Totally agree. Apparently the brothers are originally from CO. Do you know why they picked AA to set up shop in the beginning?
I bought a case each of Small Batch Gin and Silver tree Vodka after they announced they were closing. Mrs Blue got me another case of gin from Binneys for my 60th. I buy a couple bottles at Binneys every time I'm in Chicago.
Back when I was dating this was my go to spot. Lots of amazing nights there.
I remember eating at Maude's several times. I enjoyed it. My parents used to take relatives who would visit from out of town (which happened frequently when I was younger) there and a slew of other places.
Hopefully, I never ate at the table where your friend was conceived. I mean, I am sure they are a nice person, but it would just be awkward, you understand.
Their beer was pretty average. But the grew some really tasty tomatoes in the back.
For a brief period of time (2000-2004 or so, going off memory), leoplod brothers was just about the coolest place on earth. Just happened to coincide with my last year on campus and early post grad days. Lots of great memories there.
Boogie Records, just across from the WMU campus, the best record store and head shop in Kalamazoo. They also were a great source (back in the pre-internet days) of the latest concert tour info, besides selling tickets for most area concerts.
Rob, are you too young for Green Audio on Stadium Drive? Got some really good (I thought) speakers there to upgrade the sound system on my 1967 Dodge Dart. Would have gotten a lot more if I had more cash.
No, Green Audio doesn't sound familiar at all. I already myself had installed an 8 track player and rear stereo speakers in my '73 Olds Omega (prior to moving in '74 from GR to the WMU campus) so I never had a need to look for a car stereo components in K-Zoo.
And...a Boogie Records shirt!
I'm gonna hafta get one of these, it makes me wish I still had the bong and black light posters I bought there years ago!
Consider it done.
BOOGIE RECORDS: https://www.hometownvintagetees.com/product-page/boogie-records-kalamazoo-mi
Middle Earth.
Drake's, the original Moe's shop, and Jason's...and how can I forget School Kids' records.
Logged on to say Drake's. That place was out of the 50s well into the 80s. Wish I could go back to it.
Same here - logged in to cast a vote for Drake's. I remember the booths and counters were all covered in this 50's Formica:
My first meal in A2 was lunch at Drake's when my dad helped me move in to West Quad. He had worked as a soda jerk in HS in Buffalo in the 40s and the place took him back. I ended up working at Schoolkids and when I pulled a late shift (the store was open until 10 pm in those days) I'd get a bag of chocolate covered espresso beans to power myself through. Good times.
Been looking forward to this one perhaps more than any other...
DRAKE'S SANDWICH SHOP, AA: https://www.hometownvintagetees.com/product-page/drake-s-sandwich-shop-ann-arbor-mi?fbclid=IwAR39hcbiN8V09wsVk0kBVaRvYNQpl6rQVSvVv_wu4a6pglNtcZ9sSGcFM2E
2nd on Borders, they were a big part of my getting into orchestral music when I was younger. I got tons of CD's there, and they also usually had a handful of study scores for sale near the music section, my score collection got a pretty good start there.
When I was a student at Bowling Green, there was this bonkers pizza place called Myle's Pizza that we used to go to that has since closed. They these huge deep-dish pizzas- not quite Chicago style, it was definitely their own thing- where they'd have to bake them longer, so that the whole top of the pizza would have this deep brown, caramelized cheese layer on top. You could only really eat one, maaaaaybe two slices in a sitting, but it was so great. I've never had anything else quite like it.
If you ever find yourself in Greenville, SC, I believe the old owner opened up a Myles Pizza there a couple years ago. I just remember how heavy those boxes would be
Geppetto's Pizza
Was on the corner of Hill and State. Walking distance for me for 3 years (2 at South Quad, 1 year at an apartment behind South Quad). Best pizza on campus. They also had a buffet once per week. My roommate freshman year introduced me to Crab and Pepperoni. I thought he was crazy, but once I tried it that was all I would ever get. Sad day when I found out they closed.
Stucci's
Best ice cream. They used to have 3 locations in Ann Arbor. Then eventually 2, then 1. Now they were taken over by a place that calls themselves Michigan Creamery. Edit: I just looked them up. I guess technically they still exist but if not on campus it's not really the same thing. They used to be so popular and Rudy T took a shining to them and they had a strong presence in Houston as well.
Two restaurants I sadly did not eat at until grad school:
Can't recall the name but the Chinese restaurant on corner of South U and Church. I never ate there as an undergrad because their garbage bins always stunk so bad. Dumb decision. Someone talked me into it during grad school and it was fantastic. The other is Mia Za's. Kind of fast food but perfect for the starving college student. I don't think this place existed until I was in grad school. During undergrad it was Taco Bell and we always hit it after a late study session at the Ugly.
I remember that Chinese place. We went there every now and then. We also went to Szechuan West, which was out by where Zingerman's Roadhouse is. I don't know if it's still there.
Szechuan West was great.
Went there once with two friends who ordered like five dishes each. The server - who looked like a Chinese Roy Orbison - couldn't stop laughing as they kept adding to their orders. I was good with my one order of chicken fried rice.
Also, the Chinese restaurant on Main Street was great. Middle Kingdom?
Yes middle kimgdom
also RIP to Dinersty
Upvote for Middle Kingdom. Their Hot and Sour soup was fantastic.
Szechaun West closed down a dozen years ago. Construction on W Stadium doomed them, even though there was access. Though it was going downhill before then, new management went with cheaper ingredients, food was just not as good as it was prior.
Chinagate! Best Kung Pao I've ever had.
I hammered down a lot of Geppetto’s lunch special pizzas - 10” personal pie with 2 items plus a drink for $5.
I also miss the Stadium Tavern at the corner of Stadium and Liberty.
As a fellow Stuccis fan, Michigan Creamery is just as good if not better. Maybe best in AA
+1 for Gepettos. Loved their sauce.
China Gate. Loved that place.
Geppetto's Pizza was definitely the best pizza in Ann Arbor during my years of the late 80's!
Agree on Geppetto's -- that's a definite loss.
State Discount
Yaya’s Chicken Ypsi - guessing it’s gone ?
Long gone. I miss it as well. (Ya Ya's)
oh my god, ya-ya’s! yes!!!