Chelsea’s longstanding Common Grill acquired by Zack Sklar’s hospitality group

Chelsea's Common Grill won't be closing after all.

Peas & Carrots Hospitality, the restaurant group owned by co-owned by chef Zack Sklar, has purchased the acclaimed 30-year-old restaurant, and business will resume in April.

Craig Common, who co-owned Common Grill with his wife Donna, previously announced they would retire on Sunday, March 13.

In a press release, the new owners say the plan is to keep the menu and staff intact.

"I'm delighted to hand my business off to a capable team, one that I know will uphold the legacy my wife Donna and I have built in the community that we call home," Common said in a statement. "I will be staying on to oversee the transition and look forward to sharing my lifelong vision with the new team. If you stop in over the next few months, you’ll see me in my chef coat passing through the dining room, enjoying the familiar faces I’ve come to know so well over the years."

Peas & Carrots Hospitality also owns MEX in Bloomfield Hills and Social in Birmingham, among others. In 2014 it purchased Beau Jack's in Bloomfield Hills and renamed it Beau's Grillery. In 2019, it purchased Como's in Ferndale, giving the space a much-needed makeover.

"The Common Grill has been a mainstay in Chelsea for more than 30 years, and we intend for it to stay that way, continuing to focus on fresh ingredients, imaginative dishes, and outstanding service," Peas & Carrots Hospitality chief operating officer Josh Humphrey said in a statement. "The menu will remain the same, with guest favorites, including the Miso Glazed Atlantic Salmon, Parmesan Crusted Lake Superior Whitefish, and The Grill's Burger."

In a statement, Peas & Carrots Hospitality said its culinary director José Colín will work with chef Common to "ensure a seamless transition."

"I'm thrilled for the opportunity to be such an integral part of the Chelsea community, one that is near and dear to my family's heart," Colín said. "My wife Anna Foley grew up in Chelsea and has fond memories of her time spent enjoying meals and special occasions at the restaurant with family and friends. We look forward to carrying on those time-honored traditions for everyone as we make new memories together."

According to MLive, Common was a self-taught chef who came up through Chuck Muer restaurants before opening Common Grill in 1991. It became notable after a favorable Ann Arbor News review, Common said.

"That weekend, the restaurant was packed and it kept going that way. It was incredible," Common said. "It's nerve-wracking, trying to see if this is the right concept and all that but, I knew we had a winner as soon as that came out. And the people just came out in droves."

The Detroit Free Press reported that Common was named a semifinalist for the 2011 James Beard Award for best chef in the Great Lakes region.

The Common Grill is located at 112 S. Main St., Chelsea. It will close after dinner service on Sunday, March 13, and reopen again on Friday, April 1 so the staff can get time off, the new owners said.

More information is available at commongrill.com.

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