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Meal ‘Specials’ Abound at Dearborn Restaurants

Au Bon Pain, Caribou Coffee, Hot Spot and Super Cuts are all businesses that were once located in the Burton-Katzman development known as West Village Commons. Today they are closed and the development that promised such hope for west Dearborn now sits nearly empty.

And Burton-Katzman, the Bingham Farms developer, that sold the project to our city leaders is now being sued by the City of Dearborn for failing to complete what they promised (for that earlier story, click HERE.)

All that remains in the West Village Commons is the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, a new bar set to open soon called The Well and two businesses owned by Najib Rizk: La Cigar and Maestro’s Restaurant.

Majestro's Restaurant is one of many along Michigan Avenue offering meal specials in hopes of attracting more customers.

Maestro's Restaurant is one of many along Michigan Avenue offering meal specials in hopes of attracting more customers.

Like many businesses along Michigan Avenue, Mr. Rizk is doing all he can to keep his business open. While La Cigar is doing relatively well, the restaurant that he and his cousin opened a couple of years ago is struggling, he freely admits.

“We tried to work with our landlord Burton-Katzman to get our rent lowered but now with the city lawsuit Burton-Katzman isn’t doing anything,” Mr. Rizk says. “We are advertising in Hour magazine, the Detroit papers and WNIC radio. We have done a lot of advertising but it hasn’t helped. I don’t know what can be done. And my landlord seems to be okay with having an empty building.”

Mr. Rizk has cut back the hours at Maestro’s, serving just dinner from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week. On Friday and Saturday he offers entertainment and is open until 2 a.m. Two weeks ago he began offering bargain prices on all of his entrees: half off on all entrees or essentially $7 for a good dinner.

Hoping to attract customers, Mr. Rizk approached the city with the idea of offering valet parking. He says Dearborn officials killed that idea saying they were worried about traffic backing up onto Michigan Avenue. His suggestion to move the valet parking location drop-off to the rear of the parking lot farther away from Michigan Avenue or even on to Village Road also was rejected.

“Trying to get things done in this city can be so hard,” says Mr. Rizk, a Dearborn resident. “The dispute between the city and my landlord has put a clamp on things. We are stuck in the middle.”

The impact of Michigan’s struggling economy isn’t just hurting Maestro’s. All along Michigan Avenue, restaurants are struggling and doing all they can do to stay afloat, offering both lunch and dinner specials. Bob Evans is offering free Internet and special prices on all its meals, Mr. Pita is offering $1 sandwiches, Kiernan’s Steak House, Parisian Bistro Post Bar, Crave and many others are also offering great specials, as well.

We realize there are many food options available to all of us but if you are going to go out and dine let’s at least try and include Dearborn restaurants on our consideration list, too.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009 at 7:07 am and is filed under Business. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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  • Hakim

    How come Ciao has valet, even though it backs out onto Michigan Avenue. I guess O’Reilley goes by the old addage its not what you know, but who you know.

  • SK

    Did Ciao re-open? Also is this really that big of a deal?

  • DJ

    SK: not sure what part of “is this really a big deal” you are referring to.
    as it relates to deaborn businesses, yes, people should visit these places or most will go under. we all can complain here about how sad we are to see this place or the other leave but if we don’t frequent them ourselves, we shouldn’t say anything when we have another empty building.
    as for valet, Hakim is correct. the city isn’t being consistent. it is all who you know in what you get in west dearborn

  • SK

    Just saying is it a big deal that Ciao has valet parking….I think it’s important to support local restaurants.

  • hopeful

    To be fair, one is actually ON Mich Ave – Ciao is ON Monroe – so that would make a difference as far as valet parking. Chelis also has valet parking, but drivers enter from beind the resturaunt. No problem-o!
    Also, LaPita is the best Arabic food ever – so I doubt Maestros will be able to compete. There are too many of the same types of resturaunts. Sooner or later either Kabuki or the other sushi place will go out of business too. I don’t think it’s a Dearborn problem – it’s just common sense/economics/supply & demand. I would never open a Red Robin one block away from Miller’s. duh.

  • Hakim Fakhoury

    I just want to make it clear that those who are using my name on this site are impostors. I have only posted a couple times, and when I post I use my full name, “Hakim Fakhoury.” Anyone posting under “Hakim” is NOT ME.

    This type of behavior could be avoided if anonymous posting was disallowed.

    Thanks
    Hakim Fakhoury

  • rami

    We realize Ciao is on Moron moron, but when valet is using their service, the cars are constantly backing out onto Michigan Avenue — get it moron. SK you must be one of O’Reilly’s cronies making an absurd comment like that, but as long as he takes care of you, thats all you care about.

  • hopeful

    Rami,
    No need for name calling. This is a place to post opinions about Dearborn. I have mine – you have yours. That’s the way it works in the USA.
    Have a great day!
    “Moron” hopeful

  • hopeful

    P.S. Rami – I think you meant to type “Monroe” not “Moron”…who’s the moron now? LOL

  • Donna Hay

    Hakim, I couldn’t agree with your more – not many of us willing to stand by what we believe.

  • hopeful

    It is indeed good to stand by what you believe in, but we live in a world where we have to be careful. There are some weirdos out there that will look up your name and find where you live if they don’t like something you blog/write about. I personally use an anonymous name to protect myself. Please see above – I got verbally attacked for giving a simple opinion about something as minor as valet parking. What if I was writing about something more serious and really upset him? Dangerous minds.

  • http://www.aol.com Rami Says

    Ciao does not back on to Michigan ever. Ciao will reopen next year in a all new location. Currently they are dealing with the city and landlord. New locations are being scouted. Maestro’s is a great place, and we should all go there and eat. Its just bad timing due to the economy and everyone being unemployed. Ford used to support this town, but they no longer have the workers to dine in our establishments. So Maestros will have to hold on until everything pics back up. One thing to remember, is we are not like royal oak or birmingham. Those cities have cities with residents that have cash and jobs surrounding them for miles. Thats why they are busy. Dearborn borders Detroit, Taylor, Dearborn Hgts, Garden City, Lincoln Park. All cities with no money, no jobs, and citizens with no culture to make Dearborn like Royal Oak, Plymouth, Ferndale, or Birmingham. So Dearborn has been, and will be on this road to slow decline. Sorry to say it, but this is the truth. If they open a dozen or more bars, we could become the party destination?

  • Shady

    Ciao’s valet goes back to Joe Beydoun and Guido’s approval. Don’t blame O’rielly and the council for any thing otherthan just going along for the ride! VOTE THEM ALL OUT!!!!!

  • RJ

    Hakim F.: put your big boy pants on. are you the only Hakim in the world? I think not. and how do we even know its you or not. we don’t. welcome to the internet. i hear its going to big.

  • 48124

    spot on rami!

    dearborn doenst have the “DINK” factor and never will (dual income, no kids)

    plus, the royal oaks, ferndales etc have a much higher % of educated individuals who have more throw away income.

    this is why dearborn cant support real retail and upper end restaurants

  • LifelongDbnRes

    Let me say one thing…we may not have the dual income, no kids population that Royal Oak does, but to say we have citizens with no culture?! COME ON. You must not live in Dearborn. If you mean culture as in appreciation for the arts and cultural events, visit the Performing Arts Center or go downtown to one of the many cultural events there that many residents attend! Or if you mean culture as in multiculturalism, you should check out the variety of ethnic restaurants and ethnic communities in town. Yes, downtown Dearborn is FAR from Royal Oak and I’ve always said we should stop striving for something that isn’t going to happen. But to say it’s because the citizens have no culture….get real.

  • ridiculous prices

    The truly amazing thing is the ridiculous asking prices for some of these long-vacant commercial buildings. The owners are wishful fools. Sorry, no other way to put it.

  • Kevin Pal

    Went to Maestro’s once – average food, below-average service – certainly nothing special, haven’t returned. Economics, landlords, and Dearborn politics may all have a hand in why the restaurant is not doing well, but I’m looking at the bottom line when I spend my DINK money – the food and service were nothing special and I can’t see myself going back anytime soon.

  • Milwood Fordson

    Kevin

    I found it the same the last time I went to Parisian, food was avarage and service was poor. Is it me or is the food and service business in general around here lowering the bar just to keep open? I try to support Dearborn business and there seems to be fewer places that I want to return to.

  • becki kain

    i have had a TERRIBLE time, well, times at Parisian. even sitting at the bar, you can’t get anyone to serve you food, and then they blame each other, to you, about you not getting food. awful!

  • Bill

    Bad service will kill a restaurant. I will not return to a restaurant if I have been the victim of bad service. If these stories about Parisian and Maestro’s are true, someone needs to point that out to the ownership of both restaurants or we could kiss them both goodbye.