NOVEMBER 2014

ECONOMICS & enterprise
PHOTO BY DOUGLAS G. ASHLEY
220: What’s old is new again
BY JOYCE WISWELL
Denise Ilitch and
Zaid Elia at their
new spot.
It’s not easy to mess with tradition.
That’s what 220’s new
owners Zaid Elia and Denise Ilitch
learned when they bought the
beloved Birmingham mainstay and
completely revamped both its look
and menu.
“Several people who had been
coming here for years embraced the
change, but some regulars did not,”
admitted Elia. “But once we sat
down with them and expressed our
design intentions, and how it related
to the old 220, that loyal customer
grabbed onto it right away. Now it’s
going phenomenal — it’s exceeded
our expectations.” That, he said,
includes “tremendous support” from
the Chaldean community.
Located in the 1932 Detroit
Edison building, 220 first opened in
1979. In addition to the delicious
food, the spot was a favorite for its
eclectic artwork and funky light fixtures.
“The décor was charming but
the back stuff like the heating and
cooling was very old, almost at failure
point,” Elia said. He and Ilitch
brought in restaurant designer Mark
Knauer, who came up with more
than 20 ideas before they finalized
the current look.
While the restaurant retains its
original wood paneling, the overall
look is now sleek and modern, with
abstract artwork, stylish glass lamps,
walnut tabletops, plush white chairs,
and, in a nod to its Edison roots,
retro light bulbs. The large bar area
remains a popular local gathering
spot and 220 has added Michigan’s
first champagne bar. Commissioned
pop art paintings of Michigan celebrities
from Madonna to Steve Yzerman
line a wall near the luxurious
restrooms.
The original light fixtures and
whimsical pieces of art were auctioned
off. “I would say that 99 percent
were sold to a member of the
community. Everyone wanted one
for sentimental reasons,” Elia said.
220 marks the first foray into fine
dining for both Elia, whose company
the Elia Group owns more than 100
Subway restaurants in Wayne County,
and Ilitch, daughter of Little Caesar’s
Pizza founder Mike Ilitch, who
also owns the Red Wings and Tigers.
Though fast food is a far cry from
gourmet cuisine, “our backgrounds
helped tremendously as it relates to
the system side of the business,” Elia
said.
“But,” he added, “it’s completely
different as it relates to the whole
customer experience. In fine dining,
people expect much more.”
The pair hired more than 100
people “who we trained from
scratch,” Elia said. The staff includes
a few employees from 220’s former
days, but the majority found new jobs
while the restaurant was closed from
February-July for the redo.
Chef Scott Garwaithe, who came
from the Sage Restaurant at Las Vegas’
Aria Resort, revamped the menu,
putting a modern twist on favorites
like sausage penne pasta and introducing
a classic short rib dish. The
menu includes wood-fire flatbreads,
fresh lobster fettuccine with cauliflower
cream, cast iron roasted halfchicken
and other American dishes.
220 also has an in-house pastry chef
and a Starbucks coffee bar. Sunday
brunch was added late last month.
While Elia is enjoying haute cuisine,
he’s not giving up his roots. Elia
Group also owns and operates retail
shopping centers and is opening an
additional 10 Subways this year. Elia
said he’s still getting used to the differences.
“In quick service we can make a
change immediately. In fine dining,
you can’t change things overnight,”
he said. “That’s the biggest challenge.”
220 is located at 220 E. Merrill Street in
Birmingham. Visit 220Restaurant.com.
30 CHALDEAN NEWS NOVEMBER 2014