The Joe Vicari Restaurant Group in Warren today announced the addition of three new restaurants to its portfolio — The Hill Seafood & Chop House in Grosse Pointe Farms, Triple Nickle in Birmingham, and Buc’eez Pub in Macomb Township.
The restaurant group, led by Joe and Rosalie Vicari, is best known for its Andiamo and Joe Muer Seafood dining establishments. Under the new deal, the family-owned business will operate each of the new eateries as independent brands.
“We are thrilled to be adding these restaurants to our growing restaurant group,” says Joe Vicari, president of Joe Vicari Restaurant Group. “Each property has been a local favorite for each community they serve, and they fit really well into our plans for offering a great local gathering place with a unique atmosphere and exceptional food choices for our guests.”
The company, which now has 25 restaurants under ownership, estimates that with the addition of the new properties it will be adding approximately 150 new employees as well as promoting several team members within the company to the new restaurant properties.
The Hill Seafood & Chop House is a co-partnership with JVRG and Anthony Soave, founder and principal of Soave Enterprises in Detroit, with JVRG running the day-to-day operations of the restaurant. The co-partnership became official in September, and currently is open under the new ownership group.
Kaylnn Azar, who has been with the JVRG for more than five years working at Brownies on the Lake in St. Clair Shores during the summer months and Andiamo Warren and Bloomfield Township during the fall and winter months, will be the new general manager at The Hill.
Chef Bryan Hartway, who has been head chef at Joe Muer Seafood Bloomfield Hills, will now be head chef at The Hill Seafood & Chop House. The menu will have many of The Hill’s house favorites, with new items to be added. The Hill is located at 123 Kercheval Ave. in Grosse Pointe Farms.
The Triple Nickle in Birmingham was also acquired in September, and soon will become The Birmingham Pub. The restaurant is currently closed and under renovation with an anticipated opening in late November.
The restaurant will feature a diverse menu of American comfort foods served in a festive and casual experience. Blendi Suvaria, who has been part of the JVRG for more than 15 years working at the Country Inn and as general manager at Andiamo Sterling Heights, now will be the general manager at The Birmingham Pub.
The new executive chef will be Mike Yott, who has been part of the JVRG family for more than 10 years serving as chef for Andiamo Warren and Andiamo Sterling Heights. The Birmingham Pub is located at 555 S. Old Woodward, Ste. 100, in Birmingham.
Buc’eez Pub also become part of the JVRG in September, and soon will be reopened as Barley Corn Public House. The restaurant is currently closed for renovations and is anticipated to open in late November.
Matt Bates will be an operating partner and general manager at Barley Corn Public House. He began his career at JVRG in 2006 and has been involved in managing several of their restaurants, including Andiamo and Brownies on the Lake.
Patrick Bua, who has been part of the JVRG for more than six years working at Andiamo Warren in various positions, including sous chef and executive chef, will now become head chef at Barley Corn Public House.
A new menu is planned for the restaurant, and will feature a wide variety of well-known bar foods along with gourmet entrees, as well as a wide array of drinks served from a backlit bar. Barley Corn Public House is located at 50985 Hayes Rd. in Macomb Township.
In addition, the Vicari family is adding The Statler Bistro, currently under construction in downtown Detroit along Park Avenue, between Washington Boulevard and Bagley Street, and fronting Grand Circus Park.
The bistro, named after the former 18-floor, 800-room Statler Hotel that occupied the site from 1915 to 2005 (the hotel closed in 1975), will offer 175 seats and the décor will have a European flair coupled with indoor and outdoor seating.
The menu will feature American and French cuisine — the city was founded by French explorers led by Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac on July 24, 1701. In addition, the bistro will feature a market where customers can purchase groceries and packaged meals to go.
The bistro is an entirely new concept for the Joe Vicari Restaurant Group. The planned opening for The Staler Bistro is January 2021. The space will be part of the upcoming City Club Apartments, which will offer around 280 apartments and penthouses, interior parking, a planned pet store, a courtyard, and multiple amenities.
Additional details on each restaurant will follow in the weeks and months to come.
The Joe Vicari Restaurant Group, founded more than 30 years ago, has more than 1,100 employees. The company owns and operates six metro Detroit Andiamo locations, an Andiamo within Detroit Metro Airport in Romulus, the Andiamo Celebrity Showroom (an 800 seat concert/event venue located within Andiamo Warren), two Joe Muer Seafood locations (downtown Detroit and Bloomfield Hills), Brownies on the Lake, The Country Inn with three locations in Michigan, 29/41 Mediterranean Street Food with five locations in Michigan, and the Andiamo Italian Steakhouse in Las Vegas.
In addition, the group runs an Andiamo Food Truck and operates one of the largest catering and event management companies in Michigan that services meetings, charity affairs, and major sports events like the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix.
For more information on the Vicari family restaurants and other fine dining establishments in metro Detroit, visit DBusiness’ 2020 list of Top Business Restaurants here.
