Demolition has been completed on the former Pasquale’s Italian restaurant on Woodward Avenue in Royal Oak making way for what the Big Boy Restaurant Group in Southfield calls a flagship Big Boy location.
The site is located at 31555 Woodward Ave. on the west side of the avenue between 13 Mile Road and Normandy.
“The goal is to build a new flagship store for our iconic brand on this great site with excellent history,” says Tamer Afr, CEO of the Big Boy Restaurant Group. “We’ve recently built and opened another beautiful new location in Fraser, in front of Big Boy Arena, which has been a tremendous success, and we expect the Royal Oak location to be among the strongest stores in the company.”
According to plans approved by the Royal Oak Planning Commission in June 2021, Big Boy is building a 4,503-square-foot restaurant with a drive-through or pick-up window, a 5,818-square-foot commercial building with retail sales, and installing landscaped islands for a residential accessory off-street parking lot.
“The place will have a buffet and we are working on having beer and wine, and possibly more in terms of alcohol,” says Frank Alessandrini, a spokesman for Big Boy, who added that the company plans to take full advantage of its new location during Woodward Dream Cruise weekends. “We look forward to being open for future Dream Cruises and being heavily involved.”
The company says it hope to have the Royal Oak location up and running by the end of this year.
Pasquale’s, a popular Royal Oak eatery for 65 years, was owned by the Del Giudice family. It closed on April 7, 2019. Big Boy Restaurant Group signed a ground lease the next month.
“This was a difficult decision, and we want to express our gratitude to all of our loyal customers for your patronage over the past 65 years,” the Del Giudice family said in a statement at the time of the establishment’s closing. “Pasquale’s would not have thrived without you.”
Pasquale’s Family Restaurant, founded by Pasquale Del Giudice, first opened in a building that now is Red Coat Tavern on the east side of Woodward. The restaurant moved to its final location in 1971. By the time Pasquale’s closed, Del Guidice’s three sons had taken over the business.
