Deli on Avenue Finally Okayed for Outdoor Seating
Dearborn’s Deli on the Avenue, located on Military just north of Michigan Avenue, will now offer outdoor seating for its patrons.
Deli On The Avenue, located on Military, just north of Michigan Avenue, was finally Okayed to offer outdoor seating.
Back in December, we told you about Vicki Barndollar’s new Deli on The Avenue and some of the hurdles she faced in opening her new shop on Military. Well, it appears she has cleared those and is moving forward.
“We have received the approval from the city’s Design Review Committee and the Zoning Board to place tables outside the Deli,” Barndollar tells us. “I see everyday that the West Dearborn area is in such need of rebuilding and I want people to know that is what I am trying to do. I tried to create a quaint garden like atmosphere outside for the customer’s enjoyment along with enhancing the area around us.”
On those 80 degree days with the lightest wind and no clouds in the sky, nothing is better than enjoying your favorite food and beverage while seated outdoors. Dearborn could certainly use more of that because it helps make the city appear alive. It’s just unfortunate that traffic on Michigan Avenue is freeway fast. Kind of puzzling why the speeds aren’t more strictly enforced, particularly between Nowlin and Brady streets. But that’s a discussion for another day . . .
As for Barndollar and her Deli, she has planted flowers, placed tables and park benches outside of her shop to the rear of her building.
“I want people to see that even though I am only a small little place tucked in the corner, I will do whatever it needs to get people in and dress up our vacant downtown district,” Barndollar says. “No matter what hurdles I have had to deal with, I still love coming here everyday, and the great people we have met, and the new friends we have made. Don’t get me wrong, it has been difficult but I look out at the (Sacred Heart) church everyday and pray I stay open for another day.”
May 10th, 2010 at 8:17 am
Great for them!
And yes, Michigan Ave’s speed limits aren’t enforced, nor do the cops pull over everyone (or anyone, as far as I can tell) that run the light at Mason.
May 10th, 2010 at 10:47 am
Good news! Right in time for the summer.
May 10th, 2010 at 11:33 am
It is wonderful seeing a business trying to do everything that they can to succeed. It is a uphill battle today. I hope that they make it and will support them as much as I can.
As far as the laws being enforced, Dearborn could wipe out it’s debt, by putting some police cars at Schaefer and Ford Road and catching the people going through the red lights and turning on the “no turn on red”.
May 10th, 2010 at 11:53 am
Hope this adds a lot more customers for the summer. You will probably pick up more when the Farm Markets opens in June.
bob – you are so right about Mich. Ave. I refuse to cross it until I make sure everone stops for a red light of course that really ticks off people behind me.
May 10th, 2010 at 2:09 pm
I have been to this deli only once, and I loved it!!! We want to return it just seems Saturday gets away from us before we make it there. Great food, more than a lunch portion and a great price!! We will return soon-and eat outside!
May 10th, 2010 at 7:41 pm
The reason the speed is not enforced on Michigan ave, is the police department no longer has a traffic enforcement detail due to budget cuts. The officers working the street on regular patrol dedicate there time to finding real criminal with guns, dope, and stolen property. Most officers don’t waste their time pulling over the decent citizens of Dearborn for going 5 of 10 over the speed limit.
May 11th, 2010 at 7:35 am
I’m glad for this deli having some success. Speaking of businesses, there is a “Let’s Bring Trader Joes to Dearborn” group on facebook…..Please join! It made the Press & Guide news and hopefully will get more attention so that Trader Joes does indeed come to Dearborn! No need to worry about if it would hurt Westborn Market business….It won’t!!! There is a Westborn in Berkley on Woodward and literally across the street (maybe a mile down) there is the Trader Joes in Royal Oak – BOTH are THRIVING! In my opinion, they have two different styles of merchandise…I go to Westborn for meat, produce, & the deli. I go to Trader Joes for frozen foods, wine, organics, and hard to find items.
May 11th, 2010 at 9:04 am
Save Dearborn, what about the decent citizens of Dearborn trying to LEGALLY ride their bikes and almost getting hit constantly, at Michigan and Mason. put a cop there, every day, pulling people over for running that light, and wipe out the debt
May 11th, 2010 at 8:18 pm
Bob I understand what you are saying, but it is not the simple. The city use to pay officer’s to come in on overtime to do traffic enforcement, but that program has ended due to budget cuts. In theory, if the revenue from the tickets is used correctly, the money gained from fines could pay the officer for the time worked. My understanding is that is not the case. By time the courts and the stated take their share, there is very little money left that just gets dumped into the city’s general fund. The money does not even go the police department or to pay the officer for working. So because of the non comon sense of city officials, writing tickets cost the city more money. I know it doesn’t make sense, but that is how government works. They always find a way to mismanage money.
Trust me Bob you want the police working their beats finding the real bad guys. There is a lot of crap that travels through this town and a lot of them stop to commit crimes in our city.
May 12th, 2010 at 8:15 am
The light at Michigan and Nowlin is much worse for people blowing through the red.
May 12th, 2010 at 12:13 pm
Sorry gang…no cops at Mason and Michigan because that is the bar district and last month the mayor said that the cops were NOT to be patrolling in the bar district. Does anyone besides me see a problem with this picture? So guess what, now when a fight breaks (as several do every weekend) there may be 1 or 2 cars in the area. Recently, 1 car got there and before backup could arrive, several fights had broken out. I don’t know about all of you but I think it’s time we take the city back and let the mayor know that he does NOT own this city. He works for us! When I walk at night, I used to see cops sitting aroung Mason and Newman all the time. And no, they are not waiting for drunks, they are there to protect law abiding citizens of Dearborn from the crap that comes in from other cities who can’t go out for an evening without getting into a fight, pulling a knife and yes, even showing their gun. Sorry if one of the mayor’s supporters doesn’t want the cops checking for underage patrons, makes a phone call and before you know it, they are told NOT to patrol. Really people, if Deep and the P and G do not start reporting this sort of thing, we will have to start another blog with what really goes on. I am fed up!
May 12th, 2010 at 1:19 pm
Interesting neighborhood. Kay says she walks over there at night, which takes a lot more moxey that I got.
I hope she’s wrong, but I got a funny feeling she ain’t. Can you imagine a mayor giving such an order to the City’s sworn officers? That is what you call an impeachable offense.
I wish Vicki all the luck in the world, and I will definitely stop in for lunch. Its nice to see someone fight City Hall and win.
Meanwhile, across Michigan Ave, Sam Berro is opening a new restaurant in one of Norm’s beautiful buildings.
Who? Need a little background?
Here’s a nice lovenote from the DoJ:
http://detroit.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/pressrel07/de022107.htm
May 12th, 2010 at 5:04 pm
Save Dearborn, your argument falls apart with the fact that we have parking police. we have dedicated police who write tickets. Now, they get paid, right? wouldn’t it make more sense to pull over the people running lights (and endangering the citizens of Dearborn) that writing a parking ticket? I don’t know about you but I’ve almost been hit MANY times on Michigan avenue but never has a PARKED CAR hit me.
May 12th, 2010 at 10:13 pm
becki…you probably don’t know this but the parking guys are NOT cops. Neither are the park rangers. The parking guys cannot make traffic stops or write traffic tickets. Like Save Dearborn said, I think we would prefer the real cops catching the real bad guys than writing Dearborn citizens tickets. I would guess that doesn’t mean that a blantant run of a traffic light, endangering pedestrians, wouldn’t mean a traffic stop. But I for one don’t want to see our officers sitting in a car because they have to meet a quota.
tdogg….I actually felt quite safe walking at night. I’m not sure now though. It was a little unsettling not seeing any police driving around. I’ve been in such a fowl mood about all that is going on, perhaps my moxey will keep me safe! So, I also heard last night that the old post office was getting a new restaurant. Is that it? Oh my goodness. That’s just great. Thanks for the info.
May 13th, 2010 at 6:39 am
I guess I am grateful that we haven’t taken the Heights approach and used traffic tickets as a way to balance the city budget, but there ought to be a happy medium so that pedestrians can be kept safe.
May 13th, 2010 at 7:59 am
the old post office is supposed to be where Ciao is moving too. too bad it’s another Newman property.
May 13th, 2010 at 3:30 pm
so do the parking non cop people work for free? if not, get rid of them, or at least some of them, and hire more cops. that seems to solve the issue!
May 13th, 2010 at 8:48 pm
Nope, they are paid.
May 15th, 2010 at 11:19 am
Chilpolte would be another excellent additon to west dearborn….The “facebook” campaign could do wonders here as well……..
May 15th, 2010 at 11:43 am
Dearborn needs to install cameras at intersections. If the light is yellow before you get in the intersection, and you run that yellow light and then see a flash, that means you’re getting a ticket in the mail. No cops needed for ticket writing in those areas. It also cuts the amount of accidents at those intersections. It works well in other areas of the country, like Naples, FL. Believe me, the residents in those areas know where those cameras are located and definitely think twice before running a yellow light. I couldn’t guess what the initial cost of installation is, but it would probably pay off, by not having cops sitting in their cars, waiting….