FeedsRestaurant gets tavern license
A local business climate got a little brighter Monday night thanks to the approval of a tavern license.
The approval, which was granted to restaurant on Michigan Avenue which had been closed for at least a month earlier this year, will allow the facility to now serve alcohol on a limited basis, said Inkster City Manager Joyce Parker.
“They will be able to serve beer, but no hard liquor,” she said.
The owners of the Isabelle Place strip mall where the restaurant is located appeared before council members to request the license because they felt that the business would be able to stay open and maintain a profit if they could serve beer. Developer Abu Hamdan owns the restaurant.
The ability to keep independent business afloat in brutal economic conditions has been an issue in all communities, but seems to be more protracted in Inkster, which has struggled with its business base for several years.
The restaurant, which was called Isabelle’s Place and Mary’s, opened with much fanfare about four years ago.
The restaurant was built as part of a shopping center that replaced an x-rated bookstore that had the object of city concern for many years.
However, the center – especially the restaurant – has struggled. It has recently re-opened for business, but has not served any adult beverages.
One tenant left the owners with about $16,000 in unpaid rent before she was forced to stop operating the restaurant, Hamdan said when the original request was made.
At least one clothing store has had to close, and two furniture stores on the main Michigan Avenue corridor have either closed or are shutting down. A tattoo parlor – which was also located at Isabelle’s place – also ceased operation.
The city has also been unable to lure another business into the long-vacant Rosenau Honda facility, which is also located on Michigan Avenue.
Michigan Avenue has been the focus of attention from city officials who are considering what type of businesses should be located there, and what they can do to further spur activity.
