“This is a pretty big bummer actually, because it was totally out of my control,” says Will Faison, general manager of the downtown Moosejaw, which will close on January 17. The specialty outdoor retail chain, known for its cheeky marketing, opened its Ann Arbor location in 2005.
Founded in Keego Harbor, Michigan, Moosejaw has catered to hikers, campers, rock climbers, and snowboarders since 1992 and developed an effective e-commerce presence as the internet age emerged. The company was acquired by Walmart in 2017 and then by Dick’s Sporting Goods last February.
The closure of eleven of Moosejaw’s fourteen stores, as well as its Madison Heights headquarters, was announced in September. Local loyalists can still shop online or in Birmingham, the sole remaining Michigan location.
Moosejaw has been “a place that’s sort of rooted in passion,” Faison says. “It’s not necessity, so we try to keep it fun and lively. I think it’s gonna be tough to replicate. Small specialty retail is hard.”
Most merchandise is marked down 25 percent during these closing weeks, including an additional 25 percent off clearance-
priced items. Customers are still free to try the swing that hangs near the checkout counter. The Observer is assured that Ian, the fish-in-residence for the last eight years, is going to a good home, with a friend of the ex-employee who repurposed an old TV console into his aquarium.
Moosejaw, 327 S. Main. (734) 769–1590. Mon.–Sat. 10 a.m.–8 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.–6 p.m. until Jan. 17. moosejaw.com/content/ann-arbor-shop
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CARite has cleared out its used-car lot next to the post office on W. Stadium Blvd. after three years in operation. The Madison Heights–based dealership network didn’t respond to an inquiry, but its business model relied on acquiring cars returned at the end of a lease, and there are fewer of those these days: Used-car values have risen so much that most customers are opting to buy the cars themselves. CARite had twenty-six locations as recently as 2021, according to a past press release, but their website now lists just seven.
In 2020, the company paid $1.4 million for the 0.61-acre lot and building, built in 2012 as an adorably tiny Fiat and Alfa Romeo dealership. Its first general manager, who’d hoped to buy the business as a franchise, instead stayed barely a year. The property is now listed for sale at $2 million.
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Seven years after its extensive renovation of the former Middle Kingdom restaurant on S. Main, KouZina Greek Street Food closed abruptly in November. Nonpayment of rent, a recurring issue dating back to its 2016 launch, appears to be a factor, according to 15th District Court records. The Observer hoped to ask owner Bobby Laskaris about this, as well as social media posts alleging abusive behavior and bounced checks, but email and phone messages to his remaining Royal Oak location were not returned. KouZina’s Ann Arbor Facebook page continues to promote catering.
The restaurant building, with its spacious rear patio, is listed for lease at $49 per square foot per year. That works out to more than $10,000 per month—plus passed-through expenses.
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