Public House in Ferndale Closing, Sidecar Slider Bar Taking Over Space
(HRG, Jan. 28, 2025)
Ferndale, MI —Popular Ferndale restaurant Public House, 241 W. Nine Mile, will be winding down operations in February, after more than a decade of serving as a neighborhood gathering spot and Metro Detroit brunch destination. Opened in 2013 as a classic American heritage bar, Public House quickly became a neighborhood gathering spot known for its gourmet sliders and craft cocktails, until its initial closure during the COVID 19 pandemic. The location was re-opened in 2021 under Ferndale-based Hometown Restaurant Group, which added a second kitchen, a four-season garden room, flower wall and added to focus on vegan fare. In mid- February, Sidecar Slider Bar will be taking over operations at the location, remodeling and opening very quickly.
“This was a very difficult decision, and a heartbreaking decision,” said Hometown Restaurant Group CEO Brian Kramer. “The restaurant business is very difficult right now. In my 30-plus years in the restaurant business, I’ve never experienced a tougher economy than what we are experiencing today. Add to this the high food costs, high labor costs, intense competition, the need for constant quality control, tight profit margins and endless hours of work — we just agreed the time was right to close the restaurant, take a step back, focus on our other restaurant operations and give someone else a chance to re-concept the location.”
Hometown Restaurant Group is a community of restaurants in downtown Ferndale, each with its own distinct flavor and identity, and a shared vision to invigorate our city through the evolution of food and drink. Our concepts include One-Eyed Betty’s, Pop’s for Italian and Tigerlily. In order to give regular customers a chance to say goodbye and enjoy Public House one last time, the restaurant will be open for limited hours for the next two weeks, including weekend brunch service:
• 4-11 p.m., Friday, Jan. 31.
• 10 a.m.-11 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 1
• 10 a.m.-10 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 2
• 4-11 p.m., Friday, Feb. 7
• 10 a.m.-10 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 8
• 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 9
Sidecar Slider Bar is known for gourmet sliders, as well as shareables, salads, gourmet dogs and more. Kramer said the new concept will fit well with the current mix of offerings in the city’s core. “
We have started the process to get city and state approvals, but the game plan on February 15, 2025 is that we will hand the keys over to Sidecar Slider bar,” Kramer said. “Sidecar is locally-owned and operated, and will be a great addition to our Ferndale community.”