The Red Red Robbins
Will Keep Bobbin' Along
One of metropolitan Detroit's Most
Beautiful and Exciting Restaurants
Wonderfully Prepared Catering
in Your Home, Office or at Our Restaurant
DANNY RASKIN LOCAL COLUMNIST
W
Fine Dining and Live Entertainment
6 Nights A Week
GEORGE "STARDUSI" GREEN
And Show Tunes
28875 Franklin Rd. at Northwestern & 12 Mile
358-3355
Southfield
SPECIAL DINNER FOR 2
TOKYO
SIRLOIN STEAK WITH HABAcHl CHICKEN
Includes: Shrimp Appetizer, Soup, Tossed Salad,
50
Mixed Vegetables, Rice, Tea Or Coffee & Ice Creaml?
FOR
• Not Good With Any Other Coupons or Offers
• One Coupon Per Couple • Expires 9-30-94
HONG KONG
WHITEFISH
SPECIAL
$
795
■
(No Ice Cream
or Other
Dessert)
NOT GOOD WITH ANY OTHER COUPONS OR SPECIIA
EXPIRES 9-30-94
TWO!
HONG KONG
STEAK
SPECIAL
8.95
(No Ice Cream
JN
or Other
Dessert)
NOT GOOD WITH ANY OTHER COUPONS OR SPECIALS
EXPIRES 9-30-94
WiNtS, felQtgr
Orchard Lake Rd. and 14 Mile Rd. • Farmington Hills
TOKYO JAPANESE STEAK HOUSE I CANTONESE & NORTHERN CUISINE
851-8600
851-7400
WE TAKE PRIDE IN YOUR COMPLETE SATISFACTION
I
Live Entertainment Thursday to Saturday I
Exciting Selections of Desserts & Cappuccino & Espresso
FINE DINING IN A RELAXED ATMOSPHERE
T H E D E T RO I T J E WI S H N E WS
TWELVE 11/11LE & COOLIDGE • Berkley • Reservations 399-6750
I
78
FOR ALL YOUR
HAPPY OCCASIONS
(810) 544-7373
hen they came to the
United States in 1951
from Lebanon, brothers
George and Andrew
Ansara couldn't speak English ...
They wanted to go into business
but banks wouldn't give them a
second look.
The tables have turned very
drastically as banks now contin-
ually beg for their business.
They finally opened their first
restaurant in 1961, a Garden
City Big Boy franchise ... and the
family-operated and owned busi-
nesses have steadily grown.
Lew Ansara was a 9-year-old
dishwasher in their Garden City
operation owned by dad George,
uncle Andrew and great-uncles
Louis and Victor ... While at-
tending Lawrence Tech where he
was also the student paper's
sports editor, Lew became a Big
Boy manager for them in the ear-
ly '70s ... Cousin Victor graduat-
ed from Detroit College of Law
and University of Michigan Dear-
born, cooking and helping wher-
ever needed at Big Boy while
attending school.
Today the family has 12 Big
Boy franchises in the greater De-
troit area ... Two Red Robin spots
arP owned by Lew, with cousins
Victor , Norman, Andrew Jr. and
Denise Boumaroun ... one in the
Novi Town Center, opened May
1993, and the latest one on Maple
and Orchard Lake Road, opened
in August 1994 ... Plans are for
a third Red Robin in April of 1995
and a fourth will be in Southgate
at the end of 1995, with expecta-
tions for about 14 in southeast
Michigan's nine-county region.
Both presently open are run by
Lew, cousin Victor and another
cousin, General Manager Michel
Khoury.
Red Robin is a national chain
of 130 that originated in Seattle,
where there are 13 ... George
went to one in Scottsdale, Ariz.
and was so impressed he had to
take Lew there ... It revved up a.
lot of interest and was the be-
ginning of what looks to become
a major franchise in the Michi-
gan restaurant market.
The building recently opened
at the former Bloomfield
Charley's and Pal's on W. Maple
is owned by George and Andrew
... Lew and cousin Victor and
families own the business.
Chuck Muer's former restau-
rant site is totally unrecognizable
... completely gutted from wall-
to-wall to the tune of 2.7 million
renovation dollars ... It's a huge
credit to Lew's dad, George, and
Uncle Andrew Ansara, who over-
saw the entire construction ...
and gave Lew and Victor a
tremendous start as they did
with the Novi site ... not to forget
long before that when Lew and
Victor worked as busboys, cooks
and whatever at their first Big
Boy.
The "new look" Red Robin on
W. Maple seats 180 in the dining
room and 45 more in a bar lounge
where people also dine ... 15
stools are at a full-service bar in
a room whose gracious looks are
enhanced by a ceiling with glit-
tering brass tiles.
It is a complete family restau-
rant with a special children's
menu and something for every-
one, kids and adults, regardless
of age.
Birthdays for youngsters and
adults are celebrated with free
mountain high mudpie dessert
... and happy hours are from 3
p.m. to 7 p.m.
Biggest sellers are the gourmet
burgers ... 15 beef burgers, six
chicken burgers, and a veggie
burger that can also be substi-
tuted on any of the menu's burg-
to work the floor.
There is no central commissary
where food is prepared and
transported frozen to its stores
...This is a big fault with some
chains, whose convenience to
them is many times a stay-away
turnoff to customers.
Local suppliers are used at the
West Bloomfield Red Robin,
which serves about 9,000 people
a week ... Homemade soups pre-
pared on the premises include
French onion and Northwestern
clam chowder (white like New
England) plus a third special
soup that changes daily ... The
chili is most unique, with real
chunks of sirloin and black beans
used instead of the normal kid-
ney beans.
It also makes its own tortilla
chips and tacos, apple crisp
dessert, tuna salad, etc. ... The
tole slaw is from a personal
Ansara recipe.
Big dinner favorite entrees are
the tuna steak, $8.45; and eight-
ounce swordfish steak, $8.95;
both marinated and char-grilled.
Free refills are given on French
Red Robin's Victor and Lew Ansara.
ers ... Almost 1,000 pounds of
beef a week are used in making
the burgers.
Red Robin is an informal op-
eration with class ... like all
servers on W. Maple wearing
white shirts, ties and red aprons
... It is noted for a stringent train-
ing program ... very good for both
waitpersons and customers ...
Employees go through 10 days of
training and must score 100 per-
cent on questions answered in a
written test before being allowed
fries, all soft beverages, steak
fries and it's hole-ly fries ... Quite
rare is the dispensing of 10 draft
beers at West Bloomfield Red
Robin's large bar ... It employs
about 100 guys 'n' gals, including
hostess Melissa Moss, North
Farmington High student,
daughter of Lew's good. friend, Dr.
Mark Ross.
The decor at West Bloomfield's
Red Robin is unlike any other in
the chain, with a bright look that
includes many pittures, a sort of