July 6, 2006

Family business

Area bar has been in family since 1950s

Jerry Reid said he wants to make his establishment a family-friendly place, again.

A once prominent eatery in Westland is making a comeback.

Anyone who has entered J.R.’s Bar off Palmer and Middlebelt roads in Westland has probably seen the difference: the inside has been cleared out and renovated, new signage and paint has gone up outside and the menu has been overhauled, too.

“We’ve put a lot of money in here to try to get this thing revived,” said Jerry Reid, who co-owns the bar with his brother, Greg.

Both are Wayne natives and said the bar has been in the family for decades. It dates back to the 1950s, when it was called Hyatt’s Bar and a place to be seen in the community.

“You couldn’t walk in this place without a sport jacket,” Reid said. “It was one of the only places around here.”

The tavern went through many incarnations throughout its five-decade history—some will remember the names Gregg’s Emergency Room, or Kelly’s. Reid said that some of those incarnations weren’t all that notable, either. He decided to step in last year and bring his business sense to the operation. Before that, he had worked for 14 years as the general manager of the ABC Warehouse in Canton.

“This place needed a lift,” he said. “It needed a new direction.”

With an estimated $150,000 in renovations, Reid said the bar is on the on the right track, now. The interior has been completely renovated, with tables replacing pool tables and a dance floor that occasionally doubles as a place for ping-pong games. The inside matches the old décor of its early days—with the exception of the plasma screen televisions.

“We still like that old style,” Reid said. “We’re back to that ‘50s look and people seem to like it.”

The menu has been revamped, too. It still features traditional bar fare, but also offers dinners like BBQ ribs, meatloaf and Icelandic cod. There’s a wide array of pizzas—including a coney pizza with cut up hot dogs, chili sauce and mustard—and calzones. There’s even a children’s menu that offers applesauce as a side.

“You just have to get creative and find things that people like and they can’t find anywhere else,” Reid said.

He said he regularly schedules bike-themed nights and car shows as well as other entertainment, as well. The idea is to attract the positive element in the community and help build up the area, which may see future development at the old hospital site across the street.

“We want to bring the families back in,” he said. “We’re creating some excitement in the area.”

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