Janet's Lunch Closure Unexpected But Necessary

Janet's Lunch in Grosse Pointe Park has been closed for business for two weeks and questions about the building, the restaurant and what's next have been abuzz in the Grosse Pointes.

The closure was quite unexpected but very much necessary, said Robert Ermanni and Dave Quint, general contractors and property management for the Cotton family.

The longtime Grosse Pointe Park diner is a staple for many and has been serving meals for decades.

Its recent closure, the Cottons recognize, has been upsetting to many in the community, Ermanni said, noting it was never their intention.

In fact, the Cottons had intended to keep Janet's Lunch in full operation with the same management by the building's owner, Robert Larson. Purchasing Janet's Lunch and its building were the result Larson's request after they approached hiim about purchasing the Heatcraft building down the street, Ermanni said.

The family originally wanted to acquire the Heatcraft building as part of its bigger development plans for Grosse Pointe Park's business district along Kercheval Avenue.

Larson had purchased the building housing Janet's in 1996, according to Park property records.

A deal was made at the request of Larson, who agreed to sell the Heatcraft building if the Cottons also purchased the Janet's Lunch business and building. Terms of the sale included that Larson would continue managing it and the purchase happened in mid-Janaury, Ermanni said.

The relationship did not work out and in hiring a new person to take over the management of the restaurant, Ermanni and Quint quickly learned of its poor condition. Their intent had been to remodel Janet's but to otherwise leave it in place, they said, but the new person declined to have anything to do with the project after walking inside.

Meanwhile, they had applied for a certificate of occupancy from the city and also found out about structural concerns from a city inspector--including a wall that is bowing and could possibly cave in, rusting soffets and compromised floor joists, they said.

The purchase happened site unseen but the feedback from both the person who was selected to be the new manager and the city inspector led Ermanni and Quint to take a tour.

They discovered a variety of problems including:

• six inches of water and grease in the basement
• an ice machine that was draining into a city drainage pipe that also experienced sewage backups, meaning the backup fed into the ice machine
• food storage units that no longer closed properly
• a small two-bay dish washing station requiring handwashing
• the center counter/server station standing askew

The conditions were not conducive to operating a restaurant and ultimatley led to the immediate closure of the restaurant, they said.

A thick build-up of grease and grime still coat the floor and most surfaces throughout the restaurant despite cleaning that was done after the closure.

This is not the first time the restaurant had encountered sanitary concerns.

The restaurant has been dealing with several "critical" food safety violations from the Wayne County Department of Public Health, Food Safety and Food Licensing since 2010.

Most recent violations in June of 2012, according to inspection records, the restaurant was addressing a rat problem in the food preparation and cooking areas. By mid-July 2012, the problem had been corrected.

Before that in December 2011, the restaurant was cited for uncleanliness related to pop dispensers that contained mold and for not serving prepared foods in a timely manner for immediate consumption. The list continues.

"We knew it was old and tired, but it was worse than we thought," Ermanni said.

The building will be evaluated Thursday by a professional who is to provide suggestions about rebuilding in the same footprint. The building currently houses a single apartment above the diner and has a second section in the back that at one time was a heating company with a garage. That section was converted into a food storage area with a commercial refrigerator, freezer and the ice machine that was draining into the city's system.

Ultimately the Cottons want to maintain a greasy spoon diner in the Park as it only adds to the original development plans they have, including the conversion of the former Standard Oil into Red Crown restaurant, a church into a brewery and more, Ermanni said.

The question at this point is timing. Ermanni said the Cottons did not anticipate this project and did not plan for the expense. They've purchased several other buildings that have required renovations to accomodate a specific business but none have had structural issues, he said.

A sign posted in the window that states the diner is under new management and will re-open soon was originally placed there with the goal of remodeling in a two-week time period and re-opening, Ermanni said.

Ermanni and Quint will review the recommendations they expect to receive this Thursday with the Cottons before making any decisions.

"The Cottons are anxious," he said, noting their awareness of the community's reaction to Janet's closure.

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