  Detroitchef Member Username: Detroitchef Post Number: 77 Registered: 09-2008 |
Rumour has it that they're being evicted today and all the furniture is going into dumpsters. Anyone confirm/deny? I left some stuff there from the Frank Turner days, wonder if I should go get it.  | ||
Bigb23 Member Username: Bigb23 Post Number: 3647 Registered: 11-2007 |
I've seen the footage on WDIV. I hope that dumpster is just temporary storage. I'd hate to see it all go to the landfill. The building is owned by the Greektown Casino. | ||
Viziondetroit Member Username: Viziondetroit Post Number: 1659 Registered: 11-2003 |
Yeah I've had a few people call and tell me that they were as I work for some promoters there. My friend said he is going down to take pics. | ||
Retroit Member Username: Retroit Post Number: 892 Registered: 04-2008 |
That's what happens when you don't (can't) pay the rent. | ||
Viziondetroit Member Username: Viziondetroit Post Number: 1660 Registered: 11-2003 |
BINGO | ||
Hamtramike Member Username: Hamtramike Post Number: 97 Registered: 12-2003 |
I think you meant Frank Taylor....Did Derrick Coleman ever become a partner? | ||
Viziondetroit Member Username: Viziondetroit Post Number: 1661 Registered: 11-2003 |
Frank was no longer involved after the last dramatic bout they had. It was Derrick Coleman and some other partners owning the place. | ||
Tetsua Member Username: Tetsua Post Number: 1535 Registered: 01-2004 |
In related news, I think I saw the "Athlete's Foot" on Woodward cleaned out this afternoon. | ||
Raptor56 Member Username: Raptor56 Post Number: 737 Registered: 05-2007 |
Derrick Coleman Released the Following Statement: “I am most concerned about my valued employees that have been with me from the beginning. I want to assist them in any way possible as my employees depend on me. With the economy, fine dining dollars are just not there - especially in the City of Detroit. Businesses open and close every day, and it was news to me that Sweet Georgia Brown’s would be evicted this morning. The workers are my main concern.” -Derrick Coleman, owner http://www.wxyz.com/news/story /Sweet-Georgia-Brown-Restauran t-Evicted/ZQVhTxjuo0SEQ6Hyvs88 rA.cspx | ||
Iseries840 Member Username: Iseries840 Post Number: 993 Registered: 08-2005 |
Wow. I planned on going there this Saturday. | ||
Alley Member Username: Alley Post Number: 1025 Registered: 02-2008 |
The employees didn't know they were about to need a job, but they DID get to take art, furniture, and booze with them on the way out. | ||
News08 Member Username: News08 Post Number: 5 Registered: 11-2008 |
www.detnews.com/taxwatchdog And in January 2008, the Internal Revenue Service filed a $55,697 tax lien against SGB Acquisition Group for delinquent taxes, according to the Wayne County Register of Deeds. | ||
Wash_man Member Username: Wash_man Post Number: 1031 Registered: 05-2006 |
I think Frank Taylor is still involved. SGB is still listed on the website of the group of establishments he's involved with. http://www.shrg-detroit.com/re staurants.php | ||
Viziondetroit Member Username: Viziondetroit Post Number: 1664 Registered: 11-2003 |
So is the Woodward and that's closed as well so the website is outdated. | ||
Urbanfisherman Member Username: Urbanfisherman Post Number: 70 Registered: 07-2008 |
La-Van Hawkins' empire is crumbling! | ||
Terryh Member Username: Terryh Post Number: 1117 Registered: 11-2006 |
Im listening to a flute on a Jazz record.. Small businesses come and go..the 'free market' dictates whether a restaurant wins or loses..sometimes the owners get greedy and spend on luxury items instead of paying tax. Dont sympathize with the owners...they should be frugal and save, and btw unless you manage a spot or become head chef can you make a decent living in a restaurant without breaking youre body to peices? Do workers in restaurants get paid holidays? Besides the occsional carryout I dont think Ill ever eat in another restaurant again. Its much cheaper to shop at the store and dine at home. | ||
Tkshreve Member Username: Tkshreve Post Number: 736 Registered: 07-2006 |
Wow. I wonder how his other businesses are doing. | ||
Jmm1528 Member Username: Jmm1528 Post Number: 1 Registered: 02-2009 |
Though SGB has had a number of owners/partners in since day 1 (ie. LeVan Hawkins and Frank Taylor) the final owner was Derrick Coleman who bought out his most recent partner, Frank Blackman, late 2008. The place was always empty, I was not at all surprised to hear that they were evicted and/or they are in debt to the IRS | ||
321brian Member Username: 321brian Post Number: 567 Registered: 02-2006 |
Knowing DCs table manners I am not surprised. | ||
Dbc Member Username: Dbc Post Number: 184 Registered: 09-2006 |
Viziondetroit, The Woodward in the Compuware Building is closed as well? When did that happen? As for SGB, ate there years ago before DC took over. We had a great meal, good service, and liked the decor. It was also pretty crowded. I don't know if things went south after DC took over, but I'm sad to see a fine dining spot like this shut down. | ||
Detroitchef Member Username: Detroitchef Post Number: 82 Registered: 09-2008 |
Naw, Frank was bought out of this SGB deal after Coleman and partners took over. Frank's Southern Hospitality Group had a management contract with LaVan et all, but were never actual owners in the property merely subcontactors. When LaVan's shit hit the fan, Frank kept trying to get in on it but he was never able to get an actual piece of anything because he couldn't scrape up cold, hard cash at the time. When Coleman and partners bought the restaurant, they shit canned Frank and SHG (this was the same time period Frank bailed out of the LaMusique-St Regis deal with Herb Strather as well) As I remember, Frank decided to concentrate on Seldom Blues and his other places, since he owed everyone and their brother in town and couldn't buy into SGB at the time. Frank's fameous for never updating his website (or paying his bills, but that is another thread) so it's no surprise it's still there on his site. As I remember, Coleman then contracted with Epoch Restaurant Group to manage the place. I dunno if the Wisne family was still there as Sweet GB folded, but I'd be surprised if they were. Most likely they pulled out, since that location sucks and SGB has had a reputation for being a dud since day one. Sure they got lots of people in for brunch, but erractic service and idiot owners drove out a lot of customers as well. Look for the following in the near future: -All other SHG restaurants to fold, including Seldom Blues. Although they would be smart to sell Seldom Blues to someone else before everything else goes down. Frank just owes too much $$ and the vendors won't deliver to his places anymore without cash-in hand. -Andiamo's to close the Riverfront location. -The New Whitney to continue to downgrade the service and food, if not sell yet again to new owners. -The new Pizzabar to tank in six to ten months. -A whole slew of clubs to start to fold as well, all over downtown. -The restaurant blight spill over into Dearborn, and a lot of Mom and Pops there start closing due to over-saturation and duplicate offerings. -Matt Prentice to maybe close Coach, since the casinos are killing that trade. Also look for some of Prentice's suburban locations to close too. And no, that majority of places don't pay restaurant workers holiday wages. Only unionized places do. I don't think I've had a Mothers day free for the last 20 years. Still love my momma, just not ever abe to take her out for brunch that day, since I've always been cooking it somewhere. That's an axiom in the business, You're not there to play with the customers, you're there to let them play. | ||
Nipsey Member Username: Nipsey Post Number: 8 Registered: 10-2007 |
Here's a Detroit News article: http://www.detnews.com/apps/pb cs.dll/article?AID=/20090205/B IZ/902050357/&imw=Y DETROIT -- Sweet Georgia Brown, the upscale dining establishment with "a classic southern flair," was shut down Wednesday after the restaurant's owners failed to pay rent for several months. The restaurant's space, at the corner of Brush and Monroe streets in Greektown, across from Greektown Casino, is owned by Greektown Casino LLC. The building's owners were granted an eviction order. "They were not paying their rent," said Greektown Casino spokesman Roger Martin. "I mean, that's the bottom line. They are no longer a tenant of ours." | ||
Detroitnerd Member Username: Detroitnerd Post Number: 3454 Registered: 07-2004 |
I thought it was interesting because I felt that the place didn't get much steady business after Kwamster went to jail. | ||
Otter Member Username: Otter Post Number: 535 Registered: 12-2007 |
I wonder about some of the newer places that have opened downtown. Not whether they suck at handling money, but whether they can survive as a new restaurant in this climate in Detroit. My girlfriend and I and a friend had dinner at Angelina's last weekend when we were in town. Friend had suggested it since she hadn't been there yet, and neither had I. Enjoyed it a lot (though the greeter seemed a bit scattered, everything else was good and I thought my food was great) but wonder whether a restaurant at that price level downtown, even in that location, will make it. Our waitress seemed to have a bit of doubt too, if I interpreted an offhand comment correctly. I hope they do. O. | ||
News08 Member Username: News08 Post Number: 7 Registered: 11-2008 |
More details on The Woodward Restaurant's financial woes and a bankruptcy filing. www.detnews.com/taxwatchdog. | ||
Iheartthed Member Username: Iheartthed Post Number: 3729 Registered: 04-2006 |
Sounds similar to what happened at the Rainbow Room in Rockefeller Center... http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/ news?pid=20601088&sid=aiPBg._A OMvk&refer=muse But they managed to work out an agreement to keep the RR open. Too bad about Sweet Georgia Brown. | ||
Daddeeo Member Username: Daddeeo Post Number: 445 Registered: 09-2008 |
Had dinner down there last summer and it was pretty good. Too bad, it was close to Hilton Garden and not too expensive. | ||
1kielsondrive Member Username: 1kielsondrive Post Number: 869 Registered: 08-2008 |
I had business relationships with Frank Turner, Duane Nottage and LaVan Hawkins. Other than Chef Nottage, they weren't terribly impressive as business people or persons. I figured in due time they'd get theirs. Of course, the chickens came home to roost. LaVan is ensconced in a palatial hotel suite in Pennsylvania for at least a few years and Turner's fortunes are sliding. Kwame was their man at the time. He and his posse were regulars at SGB. Observing KK, his posse and their behavior, was how I came to the determination that I didn't like the guy and his crew and would never support him for elective office. |
