It's been turbulent times for Bobcat Bonnie's, with several metro Detroit gastropub locations.
Bobcat Bonnie's owner Matt Buskard announced in a lengthy post on Facebook that another Bobcat Bonnie's location will shutter.
The Bobcat Bonnie's in downtown Wyandotte on Sycamore Street will serve its last customers on Sunday.
Free Press messages sent to Buskard for comment were not returned.
Buskard announced earlier this month that the Wyandotte location would transition to a breakfast and brunch concept open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily starting on Jan. 15. In a Facebook post, Buskard said, "If brunch goes well and we can see enough sales to keep our doors open, we will consider doing Bobcat at night again if the brunch sales bring in enough folks to sustain!"
Buskard wrote that the Wyandotte location was the place where they introduced "new, cool ideas" before rolling them out to other Bobcat Bonnie's locations.
"Even now, our Wyandotte dining room is hands down one of the coolest designed ones we have," Buskard wrote.
In Wyandotte for eight years, Bobcat Bonnie's endured changes that included an abrupt closure, a reopening a year later, the pandemic, and another revamp and remodel.
"We have had such a wild and fun run with you all, but now it is time for us to continue our goal of making ourselves a bit smaller, focusing harder on what made Bobcat the place you loved, and getting back on track with service, food, and community," Buskard wrote.
In the post, Buskard said they hope to "find a space and re-enter Downriver" and thanked Wyandotte for being "amazing."
Buskard has taken to social media, including Facebook, expressing in lengthy posts the challenges and struggles the restaurant industry has endured including the pandemic and a tough business climate with a downward trend in sales.
In 2015, Buskard opened the first Bobcat Bonnie's on Michigan Avenue in Corktown. He grew the chain, known for being a hip and colorful place, to seven locations in Michigan.
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A location was also announced for a spot in Toledo, Ohio, which has not opened. Its Clinton Township location at the Mall at Partridge Creek abruptly shuttered last August. Ypsilanti's closure followed a few months later. The Grand Rapids location is temporarily closed but is expected to move to another location. Buskard's portfolio of restaurants also included the Fly Trap in Ferndale, which he acquired in February 2022, but recently transferred the ownership back to its original owners. Last August, Buskard opened Scout Vester in the former M Brew spot in Ferndale, but closed it four months later.
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