32 | DECEMBER 10 • 2020
A
fter nearly 43 years of
owning and running
Rear Ends, a women’s
casual apparel boutique, Mark
and Elaine Blumenfeld will be
handing over the reins to their
daughter, Ariana Carps.
Due to the pandemic and
personal reasons, a decision was
also made to consolidate Rear
Ends into its Bloomfield Hills
store and to shutter the West
Bloomfield location.
The closing date for the West
Bloomfield store is Dec. 12.
Merchandise is on sale with
most things well under $100,
with the goal of clearing out the
inventory.
“It’s the times we live in; you
have to be smart about it,
” said
Elaine Blumenfeld.
According to her, about 50%
of their orders had been can-
celed by vendors because of the
pandemic, and they didn’t feel
they could effectively merchan-
dise two stores.
The consolidation is a positive
move for Carps.
“I’ll be able to leave a little
early to pick my kids up from
school,
” Carps tells the JN. “I
think it’ll give me a work-life
balance. COVID has shown me
how important that is.
“It allows me to be the busi-
nesswoman I’
d love to be, and it
allows me to be the mom I want
to be who’s present when I’m
with my kids.
”
Carps has worked in the store
since she was just a kid. In 2005,
Ariana became a full-time man-
ager and buyer, and by 2012, she
was given a stake in the business.
“This is the only thing I’ve
ever wanted to do, and the only
job I’ve ever had,
” Carps said.
“I can’t imagine doing anything
else.
”
The plan was always for the
Blumenfeld’s to hand the busi-
ness off to their daughter, but
the pandemic accelerated that
decision.
“My daughter is unbelievable,
”
Blumenfeld said. “She grew up
here, she was doing stock when
she was 10 years old.
”
It won’t be a full retirement
for the Blumenfeld’s though.
In-season, they’ll be at the store
more often. They’ll step away a
bit more when it’s not as busy.
“It’s comforting to say we’re
going to step back, and we’ll
come in when she needs us. We
might come in a little bit when
she doesn’t need us,
” she added.
“It’s been a good run,
” Mark
Blumenfeld said. “I’m leaving
this location with my head held
high, and everything’s good in
life. How much more can I ask
than that?”
RESTRICTIONS ARE
“DEVASTATING”
President Jeremy Sasson of
the Heirloom Hospitality
Group, whose restau-
rants include Townhouse
Birmingham, Townhouse
Detroit and Prime + Proper in
Detroit, argues that the coro-
navirus restrictions have been
devastating for the restaurant
industry.
Summing up his company’s
experience, Sasson said, “In
the last eight or nine months,
we’ve had catastrophic layoffs
of employees. We’ve gone
from 350 employees to 15,
rehired to about 300, and now
we’re back to eight employees
at our organization. ... This
time around, there’s no eco-
nomic stimulus to support
workers on unemployment.
After 20 weeks from the first
shutdown, there’s not a lot of
time left for laid-off workers
to get unemployment money.
“The hidden issue in this
situation is that some employ-
ees are going to be forced to
look for other jobs,” he added.
“We’re the only industry sin-
gled out twice in this entire
year, with two shutdowns now
tied specifically to restaurants.
I can’t blame employees for
not betting on the restaurant
industry for their livelihood.
There will be a gap for finding
restaurant and hospitality pro-
fessionals when things have
come back.”
Catering has been import-
ant during the pandemic,
according to partner and
Executive Chef Matt Prentice
at Three Cats Restaurant
in Clawson. “Thankfully,
because I’ve been around for
a long time, we’re doing an
incredible volume.”
His location in a suburban
neighborhood is an advantage
he does not see for many of
his colleagues starting out “or
located in areas like Detroit
that have seen a huge number
of restaurants open but are
now struggling.”
Prentice is concerned about
restaurant staff, including
his own 22 employees on
furlough. “Shutting down
restaurants and bars is an
unwinnable hand for a lot of
people,” he said. “How do you
survive on $360 a week at the
max for unemployment to pay
for things at Chanukah and
Christmas? People are hurt-
ing. No financial relief is in
sight either.”
Bill Roberts of the Roberts
Restaurant Group, whose
restaurants include Beverly
Hills Grill, Bill’s, Cafe
ML, Roadhouse B&G and
Streetside Seafood said, “The
uncertainty is awful.
“Our team stuck with us
through the (initial) three-
month shutdown and worked
hard to rebuild our business
and their lives. Now their
reward is to have their jobs
and our business (shut down)
just before the holidays.”
As a past-president of
the Michigan Restaurant &
Lodging Association, Roberts
said he was “thrilled that our
Association sued the state
to ask for our industry to be
reopened” (a ruling is expect-
ed Monday).
His feeling is that most
of the (virus) transmissions
occur at home gatherings,
“where people are not distanc-
ing, nor wearing masks, like
they are in our restaurants.”
With outdoor dining not
going in earnest until May 1,
“one needs to have a strong
financial situation or govern-
ment help to make it until
spring,” Roberts said. “Please
ask your state government to
reinstate dining. And, please,
support your neighborhood
restaurants.”
BUSINESS
continued from page 30
Owners handing reins to daughter,
closing West Bloomfi
eld Store.
DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER
Changes at
Rear Ends
Elaine and Mark
Blumenfeld and
Ariana Carps
REAR ENDS FACEBOOK