Andiamo Owner Urges State Restaurants to Re-open in Letter

The owners of Andiamo's are laying it on the line. If another shut down occurs the industry just simply can’t survive.

In a letter to fellow restaurant owners, Joe and Rosalie Vicari leave  have laid it out pure and simple. If the shut down continues they are urging fellow restaurateurs in Michigan to band together and open their doors in defiance of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the state health department.

In a letter obtained by WDIV, the owners are appealing to other restaurant owners like themselves to unite and open back up.

“Our industry cannot survive another extended closure,” the letter says. “Thousands of restaurants and tens of thousands of our employees can not survive it either. We need to band together and FIGHT BACK but we need to do this as a United Group of Michigan Restaurant Owners.”

The Joe Vicari Group owns the Andiamo chain, including the popular Fenton location,  as well as Joe Muer Seafood. During the summer the Fenton location offered a large outdoor dining area, but with the change in weather that is no longer an option and the restaurant is facing the same issue as other eateries....a loss of dine-in business.

Right now the Vicari's along with other restaurant owners are waiting for a decision on a lawsuit filed by the Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association (MRLA) asking for a halt to the temporary ban. According to Detroit Free Press, if the lawsuit fails the letter is asking restaurant owners and vendors to meet on December 3rd. The letter indicates that the plan is for the group of restaurants to hold a press conference and announce, "as a powerful, collective group, we will be reopening our restaurants on December 9th".

The letter also indicated that Joe Vicari feels the Governor will announce an extension of the order on Sunday, which is not good news for the restaurant industry. You can read read the full letter here.

The Detroit Free Press did say the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services released a statement Monday saying they, "sympathizes with restaurants and their workers and understands the significant financial impacts of the order."  It went on to say,

"However, it is necessary to save lives and protect the public health as COVID-19 cases numbers, deaths and hospitalizations have spiked dramatically. We continue to urge everyone to do their part by wearing masks, physically distancing, washing their hands frequently and avoiding indoor gatherings so that restaurants can resume indoor dining as quickly and safely as possible."

Stay tuned....