The next time you pass by Andiamo Trattoria in downtown Royal Oak, you won't be able to go inside.
The Joe Vicari Restaurant Group announced that Andiamo Trattoria on South Main Street in Royal Oak has closed effective immediately.
The owner of the restaurant group, Joe Vicari, released this statement:
“We are deeply saddened to close Andiamo Trattoria in Royal Oak after being a part of the community for almost two decades, but unfortunately our hand was forced. The city of Royal Oak has taken away 100% of the restaurant’s parking as well as our patron’s ability to valet park their cars which has severely impacted our business. This coupled with our landlord’s unwillingness to restructure our lease has made it impossible for us to stay in business in Royal Oak.”
Andiamo says its working to offer everyone who was employed at its Royal Oak location a spot within the Joe Vicari Restaurant Group.
Royal Oak Mayor Michael Fournier responded in a statement saying:
Sadly, Mr. Vicari never reached out to me to express his concerns. He seems quick to blame others and doesn’t offer any reflection on what he could have done better. He admits sales have been down 25% for the past couple years. This has nothing to do with parking and landlords, but perhaps everything to do with the product he offers. There are over 1,000 parking spots within a block of his establishment. The surface lot has only been out of commission for weeks. Is he suggesting his product isn’t good enough for people to walk a block? Plenty of other restaurants are doing well that are not right next to surface parking. To be clear, the city didn’t take away his parking - it was a municipal lot. It didn’t belong to him and was used by a myriad of people visiting our downtown. We are replacing that surface lot with 585 new parking spots and a class A office building that will house about 700 daytime workers - right outside hs doorstep. His landlord also seems bullish on Royal Oak since he was unwilling to negotiate rent with Mr. Vicari. In today’s marketplace you have to remain relevant or risk losing out. Royal Oak is well underway executing our plan that will bring nearly 1,500 well paid jobs to downtown. While some people may be sad to see Adiamos go, almost everyone is excited about the $200 million of annual economic activity this project will bring to businesses in our downtown and beyond. Years ago we predicted the resurrection of Detroit and the evolution of neighboring communities. We, along with business owners, established a vision to bring a dynamic working environment to Royal Oak to ensure our city didn’t fall victim to the status quo. Today we are celebrating the fruits of those efforts. We are also empathetic to the inconvenience construction brings and are committed to helping everyone navigate through these temporary hurdles. I wish Mr. Vicari the best of luck and hopefully he can find a outer-suburban strip mall with an oasis of parking that suits his business model better. In the meantime Royal Oakers remain excited about what’s going on in our flourishing, relevant and growing paradise.
- Michael Fournier / Royal Oak Mayor
