CADILLAC — Plans for a much-anticipated Italian restaurant in the works for the Dockside Inn in Cadillac West have fallen through due to staffing issues.
According to restaurant co-owner Mike Blackmer, they were prepared to reopen the restaurant on Wednesday but at the last minute lost vital back-of-the-house staff, including the head chef.
“The challenges began a week and a half ago, when our kitchen manager did not show up for our scheduled soft opening,” Blackmer wrote in a message on social media.
“This unexpected absence forced us to delay our opening as we searched for a replacement. Shortly after, another cook … abruptly quit last night, which further compounded our challenges … With the pressure of opening a restaurant without adequate kitchen staff, the chef resigned this morning.”
Blackmer told the Cadillac News that while he’s had his share of challenges in business, this is the lowest he’s ever felt.
“We truly believed in what we were building and felt it would have been a valuable addition to the Cadillac area,” Blackmer said.
“This decision was not due to financial reasons or a lack of capable front-of-house staff. The restaurant is fully stocked with food, as we were preparing to reopen. Now, we’re unsure of what to do with it. Ultimately, it came down to a shortage of reliable kitchen staff willing to work in this area … Cadillac cannot keep up with what Traverse City is paying.
We appreciate the support and enthusiasm we received from the community and are deeply disappointed we couldn’t see this dream through. We sincerely apologize to all the staff affected by this decision. We are truly sorry that things turned out this way.”
Blackmer broke the news to his staff on Wednesday. He said they had hired 29 staff members to run the restaurant but without cooks and a chef, they simply cannot open at this time.
“That’s the worst part about it,” Blackmer said in regard to all the employees who now will be looking for work.
“I feel bad because I know they had other opportunities for work this summer but didn’t take them.”
Blackmer said he feels bad for potential customers, as well. People were looking forward to the opening of the restaurant and this weekend was completely booked with reservations, Blackmer said.
The proposed restaurant was called Nonni’s Italian Kitchen.
Blackmer said they’re contacting vendors to see if any of them will take back the food inventory they purchased for the opening. He said the rest likely will be sold through an online marketplace.
If someone with chef experience comes forward with an offer to run the restaurant, Blackmer said they’ll entertain any offers. Barring that, he said he’s unsure what will happen with the building moving forward.
It has been listed for sale for a number of months.
Story Highlights • Last-minute staffing issues canceled the scheduled opening of Nonni’s Italian Kitchen at the Dockside Inn in Cadillac West. • Restaurant co-owner Mike Blackmer said he’d love to eventually reopen the restaurant but is unsure what will happen with the building at this time.
Dining and Cooking