Later this month, Ferlito’s Restaurant in Grosse Pointe Woods will close its Mack Avenue location, which has served Italian cuisine in the neighborhood for more than 40 years.
“As much love as we’ve put into this place, time has taken its toll,” said owner Joshua Mowen in a statement on social media Sunday. He took over the restaurant in 2015. “We have pivoted, adjusted, reimagined, renovated and reinvented ourselves over the years.”
“We have had to navigate a lot. During the pandemic we kept up with the changing cost of goods, we expanded with a catering truck, we maintained higher quality product, having competitive wages for our employees all while keeping pricing affordable for our customers and not cutting corner with quality ingredients,” he said, adding that the building is showing its age and they can’t afford the upkeep.
“The repairs are too big, too constant, and too costly for us to carry any longer,” he wrote. “Many tears, frustration and sleepless nights have been felt by this small building. It breaks our hearts, but we know the spirit of Ferlito’s has never just been in the walls or floors. It’s been in the people who filled the seats, the laughter, the celebrations, the staff who gave their all, some of them for the past 25 years.”
The restaurant will continue to operate through the last Sunday of June, then close for good.
In February, a carryout-only outpost of Ferlito’s opened in St. Clair Shores at 22910 Harper across from Kroger near Nine Mile, and that will continue to serve the brand’s pizza, pasta, ribs and more.
While Mowen took over Ferlito’s in 2015, it dates back to the 1980s. A Detroit News “Cheap Eats” column in 1985 describes it as a family restaurant and pizza parlor with a salad bar, piping hot rolls, soup, pasta and barbecued ribs that were “surprisingly tender and delicious.” In 2005, the business was approved for a liquor license, according to reports.
Until its final day on June 29, Ferlito’s is open for dinner Tues.-Sat. and lunch and dinner Sundays at 20745 Mack in Grosse Pointe Woods. Call (313) 882-1600 or visit ferlitos.com.
mbaetens@detroitnews.com