The End of an Era for Another Flint Business [PHOTOS]

It was a sad day last Monday when I got the news that one of my favorite local hangouts was closing, and possibly for good.

It was December 11, 1987 that Maxie's Food & Spirits opened its doors.  Through the 1990s, Maxie's was a solid venue for patrons looking for great food and amazing entertainment.

Maxie's owner, Ron Maxheimer, and his long time business partner Ron Sabourin established a fun, inviting, unique atmosphere.

Bob Wells was in charge of karaoke when I started in the late 1990s.  He graciously trained me, and I have been there as a DJ and karaoke host on and off for the past 14 years.

It wasn't until the death of beloved General Manager Ron Sabourin in 2004 that Maxie's began to go down hill.  Several changes in management and ownership over the years caused an inconsistency that turned off many regulars.

Although the management had changed drastically from late 2004 through early this year, the name "Maxie's" was one of the few things that remained constant.  However, there were a few makeovers and face lifts over the years.

This all changed when George Falaris (known from the Grand Blanc Inn and Bubba's) took over as owner.  Maxie's Food & Spirits became Goodfellas Social Grill & Sports Bar on January 8th, 2012.

With the live entertainment initially stripped down to only Friday and Saturday nights, there wasn't much to do except eat.  However, the new menu was amazing!  Yet, constantly making changes left and right to the menu, the entertainment and the staff made the inconsistency even worse.

Many of the veteran Maxie's staff didn't make it through the transition.  Myself and a few others remained on board at first.  Near the end of the Goodfellas run, there were only two of us left.

With very little notice, Goodfellas closed its doors on May 22nd, 2012.  Many employees, including myself, were left without jobs and remain unpaid for their work for the last few weeks it was open.

I asked original owner Ron Maxheimer if the doors will remain closed.  He told me that there are some people looking at it, but without solid investors, the future of the building at 2500 Hill Road in Mundy Township remains up in the air.