Bubble Tea from Honorary Relatives
In contrast to Stray Hen’s lengthy lead-up, UniTea seemed to pop up almost overnight. Owner...
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Marketplace
Dixboro House Tests Its Wings with Prepaid Dinners
Dixboro House, the multimillion-dollar project on Plymouth Rd. from Sava Farah and chef-partner Louis Maldonado, began testing its wings this summer with prepaid multicourse dinners.The first, in June. was billed as the...
Read MoreShawarma Shop Changes Hands
In February, brothers George and Alex Rouche opened the Shawarma Shop next to the Shell station at State and Eisenhower (Marketplace Changes, March).At the time, George said it was the fulfillment of a longtime dream to own a...
Read MoreArgus Takes Arbor Vacuum’s Spot
From 1974 until last year, Arbor Vacuum was a mainstay at 1229 Packard. Dianna Poley says her father-in-law, who started the business, had a “gentleman’s agreement” with landlord Harry Hawkins and faithfully...
Read MorePerfumes & Gifts by Shalimar Is Gone
Perfumes & Gifts by Shalimar, the gift shop opened by Shalimar restaurant on Main St., is closing. It opened in late November, selling high-end perfumes, candles, sunglasses, and bath bombs (Marketplace Changes, February)....
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Pizza Replicator
Several nights a week, you’ll find Max Sussman blasting out pizzas and salads from his Pizza...
Read MoreHomespun Properties Latest Renovation
The lowest-priced home on this month’s map sold for $100,000: a 768-square-foot, two-bedroom, one-bath Arbor Heights condo at 4198 Packard in Pittsfield Township. The highest-priced home fetched $2.3 million: a...
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Ypsilanti’s Civil War-era Thompson Block reawakens to a new life as Thompson & Co
After decades of neglect followed by a grueling five year, $10 million renovation,...
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From Espresso Royale to M-36
In March 2020, Espresso Royale Coffee closed its fourteen cafes in Ann Arbor and other Midwestern...
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Christopher Thomle, T-shirt Hunter
Seattle native Christopher Thomle first visited Ann Arbor with a buddy six years ago to partake in...
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The Partnership for an Internet-Free America
We received 186 entries correctly identifying the Fake Ad for “The Partnership for an...
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Maniacal Meads
A new artisanal product popped up among the flats of flowers and greenhouse lettuces at the Ann...
Read MoreA Tearoom Reopens
July 6 will mark the beginning of more normal operations for the TeaHaus Cafe on N. Fourth Ave.During Phase One of “our big, grand reopening,” owner Lisa McDonald promises more outdoor seating, more indoor seating,...
Read MorePop-ups and Food Trucks are Here to Stay at York
Tommy York, founder and co-owner of artisanal market and deli, YORK, was overwhelmed by the support his business received from the community this past year. “People were calling morning, noon, and night for carry-out food,...
Read MoreFrom Bookbound to Booksweet
In May, Peter and Megan Blackshear announced plans to close Bookbound Bookstore in the Courtyard Shops. But to their delight, a new owner is now in the process of taking over.”When the word got out, we were very surprised...
Read MoreKanbu Asian Mart Open
Ann Arbor is well served with big, Asian-focused grocery stores, but it’s mostly lacked the smaller convenience-style stores which the Japanese call “conbini” and Koreans “pyeon uijeon.” Now,...
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The Instant Art Fair
Update: The map in the July 2021 Observer missed two important changes: there is no Art-Go-Round...
Read MoreBob’s Discount Furniture Arrives
Anyone who’s lived in the northeast is probably familiar with the TV commercials for Bob’s Discount Furniture. The star, Bob Kaufman, who founded the chain in Newington, Connecticut, in 1991, appeared as a Claymation...
Read MoreHomes Selling at or Above Listing Price
Eight million-dollar sales on this month’s map bring the year-to-date total to thirty-two–as many as sold at that price point all last year. According to InfoSparks, which gathers information from the Ann Arbor Area...
Read MoreQuality 16 Is Dark, Again
West siders and people who like to watch movies in comfortable seats were delighted when the Goodrich Quality Theaters group opened Quality 16 on Jackson Rd. in 1999. Along with big studio pictures and independent films, Quality...
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