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FERNDALE — After more than a decade in operation, the owners of Public House have announced the restaurant will be closing.
Public House, 241 W. Nine Mile Road, has been open in downtown Ferndale since 2013, but it will shut down for good later this month.
According to Brian Kramer, CEO of Hometown Restaurant Group, which owns a number of Ferndale restaurants including One-Eyed Betty’s and Pop’s for Italian, the decision to close Public House was a “difficult” and “heartbreaking decision.“
“The restaurant business is very difficult right now,” Kramer said in a prepared statement. “In my 30-plus years in the restaurant business, I’ve never experienced a tougher economy than what we are experiencing today. Add to this the high food costs, high labor costs, intense competition, the need for constant quality control, tight profit margins and endless hours of work — we just agreed the time was right to close the restaurant, take a step back, focus on our other restaurant operations and give someone else a chance to re-concept the location.”
Kramer could not be reached for further comment on the decision to close Public House.
Public House served American pub food and craft cocktails. It at one point closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, but reopened in 2021. The restaurant will have limited hours over the next several weeks. For more information on the hours, visit facebook.com/publichouseferndale.
The space currently occupied by Public House won’t be vacant for long, as the building will be handed over to Sidecar Slider Bar on Feb. 15. Sidecar Slider Bar will be remodeling the space before opening.
Sidecar Slider Bar, known for its gourmet sliders and craft beers, originated in Birmingham and now has locations in seven Michigan cities.
Kramer said the Sidecar will “fit well with the current mix of offerings in the city’s core.”
“Sidecar is locally-owned and operated, and will be a great addition to our Ferndale community,” he stated.
Downtown Ferndale has had a number of restaurants close during the past year, with The Emory and Scout Vester shutting down more recently.
Downtown Development Authority Executive Director Jennie Beeker said the closures are something cities are seeing across the board as many are struggling with inflation in operating costs.
Beeker hopes residents keep these businesses in mind and show up to support them during this time.
“It’s a real privilege for us to have such amazing businesses in Ferndale, to have these great spots to go and visit, and it’s important that we remember to show them our love with our dollars sometimes,” she said.
“I know that that’s a difficult thing to ask for people,” Beeker continued. “If you are on a budget and you’ve got to make cuts somewhere, just please remember that if you’re able to celebrate and to the extent that you’re able to support local businesses like this, it makes a huge difference for them, for their staff, and for the downtown vibe because … we want to keep that reputation that downtown Ferndale has for a place you can go and enjoy yourself and meet up with friends, family, colleagues, whatever you need to do, that we’ve got spaces that support that.”
