Without notice, Michael Symon’s Roast located in Detroit’s Westin Book Cadillac hotel permanently closed Saturday night.
It was previously speculated that new ownership at the hotel played a role in the restaurant’s closure, but the owners have come out saying it was celebrity chef Michael Symon’s decision.
“The hotel had a lease in place with Roast when we acquired the property. We had heard rumblings they might be closing, and ultimately that’s what they decided to do. We are actively pursuing re-tenanting the space,” Matthew Kalt, vice president of Oxford Capital Group, said in a statement on Monday evening.
The Westin Book Cadillac was sold to a joint venture between Oxford Capital Group and New York-based hedge fund Taconic Capital Advisors last month.
Despite advertising an upcoming happy hour on Facebook on Friday evening, the restaurant’s website now leads to a blank page with a message that reads, “Permanently closed, we are truly grateful for your business.”
A post on the Detroit subreddit tells a story of employees being blindsided by the closing. “Roast Restaurant Detroit at the Westin tells employees tonight was their last night… No warning, just fired them all with no notice,” the post reads.
The lavish steakhouse was opened by Symon in 2008 during the hotel’s grand reopening and was lauded for their happy hour specials. It was named Restaurant of the Year by The Detroit Free Press in 2009.
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This article appears in Dec 29, 2021 – Jan 11, 2022.
