Citing rising overhead costs and fewer customers dining out, the McDevitt family is closing Mancino’s Pizza & Grinders Oct. 12 after thirty years on the far west side.

Their Zeeb Rd. store proved larger than needed, Patrick McDevitt explains, and though they considered other options, “with the uncertainty in the marketplace coming up with the elections and the economy and everything going on, it’s a lot of money to lay out there to make a move.”

The parent company’s main website lists sixty-six locations, most in Michigan. The local staff of eleven got word of the decision two months in advance, and the McDevitts plan to sell their equipment. Patrick’s parents, Kathy and Don, have stepped back from the business in recent years, and he looks forward to the chance to “maybe take a week or two off for the first time in thirty years.” 

Mancino’s Pizza & Grinders, 355 S. Zeeb. (734) 994–9151. Through Oct. 12: Mon. 10:30 a.m.–4 p.m., Tues. 10:30 a.m.–7 p.m., Wed. & Thurs. 10:30 a.m.–7:30 p.m., Fri. & Sat. 10:30 a.m.–8 p.m. Closed Sun. mancinoszeebrdsciotwp.com

Siam Square plans to reopen elsewhere in Ann Arbor within a few months, following its abrupt closure due to multiple city health and safety code violations at Victory Inn and Suites, the hotel in which it had operated since 1994.

“We scrambled to try and figure out what was going on, and the landlord basically just ignored us,” Michael Persa tells the Observer. His wife, Sirintip Pramnoi, has owned the Thai restaurant since 2019. “And now we know why he wanted rent three days early.”

They managed to rescue key business assets, including furnishings original to Thailand, from the building. The city has approved a plan to demolish it and replace it with a new four-story hotel.

Persa, who’s also a partner at Slurping Turtle downtown, says they’d seen the property decline in recent years, had been looking to move, and are close to securing a new location where they can reopen promptly.

“It’s putting a lot of financial burden on us,” he says. “But in the long run, I think everything happens for a reason. I hope the reason for this is that we will have a better location and more dine-in guests.”

In preparation for an apartment high-rise planned for several adjacent parcels on Packard and S. State, the building long home to Jack’s Hardware and Sushi Town will close in October. 

Marty Nyrkkanen, owner of the independent hardware store known for the often quirky messages on its outdoor sign, says he’s planning a mid-October move-out to a temporary warehouse “staging point” on South Industrial until long-term plans become clear. They’ll continue to service reel mowers, screens, and windows, “because we’re one of the few people in town that does that.”

Meanwhile, Oct. 5 will be the last day for the Lee family’s Sushi Town, which opened there eighteen years ago and has recently focused on take-out. The owners’ son Alex tells the Observer that his parents aren’t ready to retire yet but are struggling to secure an affordable successor site. They’ve launched a GoFundMe appeal, which has raised $3,424 as of press time.

The planned fourteen-story redevelopment on 1.3 acres, known as Five Corners, is working its way through the city approval process. Chicago-based Core Spaces hopes it will be ready by 2027.

Jack’s Hardware, 740 Packard until mid-October. (734) 995–0078. Mon.–Fri. 8 a.m.–8 p.m., Sat. 8 a.m.–6 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.–5 p.m. facebook.com/jacksannarbor

Sushi Town, 740 Packard. (734) 327–8646. Until Oct. 5: Tues.–Sat. 4 p.m.–9 p.m. Closed Sun. & Mon. sushitownannarbor.com

Jennie Jones declined to renew her lease for Wiggle Waggle Barkery after one year in Briarwood Mall, opting to focus on her original location in Taylor’s Southland Center. But she says it’s “very possible” that the pet-friendly purveyor of dog treats and supplies may return at some point.

Got a restaurant or retail change? Email marketplace@aaobserver.com.