Imperial to Reopen Tuesday, Dia De Los Muertos Celebration Planned
(Crystal A. Proxmire, Oct. 22, 2016)
Ferndale, MI – Imperial Restaurant has been closed this week for renovations, and is expected to re-open Tuesday for lunch according to Marketing Manager Segen Isham.
Isham, who has personally been sanding away inside the restaurant, said “We plan on reopening Tuesday for lunch. We’re taking this time to completely gut and remodel the bathrooms, install a new floor in the kitchen, install new kitchen equipment as well as sand, seal, and put a fresh coat of paint on the whole place!
“We’ve been itching to get these projects done for a long time, we just found a window that seemed to work best for us to close and get it all done at once. We entertain upwards of 1,000 guests a day and as we get into our 5th year it was time to freshen up!”
Isham said there has been some confusion over the closure since it coincides with the less-than-forthright closure of nearby Como’s Restaurant. Como’s is expected to open officially on Monday according to a Facebook post.
When asked if there were any health department issues related to the Imperial closure, Isham said “It was just a coincidence. We had a health inspection a week before Como’s and passed with flying colors. No issues. No violations. These were just updates we’ve been wanting to get done for a long time and happened to have all of the contractors lined up prior to Como’s closing.”
The Oakland County Health Department has not yet responded to our request for more information, but this story will be updated if need be. Imperial announced the closure on Oct. 18 with a picture of the gutted bathrooms, and has been sharing updates over the past few days. Isham and the staff are looking forward to opening Tuesday with their Dia de Los Muertos skull display up, and their charity auction beginning.
This is the fifth year for the the Dia De Los Muertos Celebration which takes place on Wednesday, Nov. 2.
Artists Jeff Shea, Gary Arnett and Dan Christie, Kadee Spangler, Shaina Kasztelan, Heidi Barlow, Kyle Thousand, James Maxwell, Josh Barg, Kyle Evans, James Maxwell, Miles Rene Vankerkeersblick, Steve Pelkey, and Matt Misiak created unique skulls that patrons can bid on Tuesday through Nov. 3. 100% of the proceeds benefit the Flint Children’s Health and Development Fund. Last year’s event raised over $2,000.
In addition to the skulls, Imperial will feature a one-day menu takeover by Executive Chef Brandon Zarb, community altars, offerandas, specialty cocktails and the chance to win up to $200 in gift cards for the best sugar skull makeup and traditional garb. Festivities take place all day.
Imperial is located at 22828 Woodward in Downtown Ferndale. Find out more at https://www.facebook.com/imperialonwoodward/.
Read about the Como’s closure at https://oaklandcounty115.com/2016/10/01/records-show-health-dept-violations-that-closed-down-comos/.