Look back at Lansdowne, the Detroit riverfront restaurant owned by Four Tops' Duke Fakir
Susan SelaskyOn Monday, Duke Fakir, the last member of Motown’s legendary Four Tops, died of heart failure at his Detroit home.
While he was remembered for the group's successful hits such as "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)," “It’s the Same Old Song,” and “Bernadette,” he was also the one-time owner of a long-gone floating Detroit restaurant.
Many will remember the Lansdowne Restaurant, moored in the 1980s on the Detroit River behind the Cobo Arena and Hart Plaza areas.
It was Detroit city planner Alex Pollock who was credited with the idea of transforming the Lansdowne, a former ferry that shuttled rail cars between Detroit and Windsor, into a floating restaurant. Pollock was also behind bringing the giant vegetable murals to Eastern Market.
The Lansdowne was believed to be the oldest side paddle-wheeler in North America. Launched in 1884, the Lansdowne was built in Wyandotte for the Grand Trunk Western Railroad and used as a rail ferry.
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In 1970, it was taken out of service after it blew an engine, according to Free Press archives. In turning the Lansdowne into a floating restaurant, Pollock helped secure a federal grant to convert the vessel. Specialty Restaurants bought the ferry from Lansdowne Inc.
The Lansdowne, a 319-foot long and 60-foot wide vessel, opened on Detroit's Riverfront in 1983 by California-based Specialty Restaurant Corp.
With views of the Windsor skyline and the Detroit River, its interior boasted a "top-deck oyster bar and cocktail lounge with two raised dance floors, huge oak-and-brass island bar and visible kitchen," according to a Free Press report.
A highlight of the restaurant was two old train dining cars positioned on its deck. There was also the Paddlewheel restaurant and dining areas for banquets.
As a restaurant, Specialty Restaurant Corp. shuttered the Lansdowne in 1988.
Fakir, who along with his cousin Detroit dentist Darnell Kaigler, formed D&D Enterprise Associates Inc., bought the restaurant in 1988 from Speciality Restaurants. The pair invested in renovations of the Lansdowne including refurbishing the kitchen and converting the space to one with more nautical nuances.
According to Free Press reports, plans included renovating the restaurant into a riverboat-style restaurant offering Creole/Cajun cuisine, live jazz and a nightclub. Fakir and Kaigler even traveled to Louisiana in search of a cook. They found and hired Sandra Morris from a New Orleans Italian restaurant.
D&D filed Chapter 11 in 1990 and eventually sold the restaurant back to Speciality Restaurant Corp. As the Lansdowne restaurant, it was closed in late 1991. A later iteration of the Lansdowne was the Baja Beach Club entertainment complex which offered a sports bar, piano bar, karaoke, dance club and traditional restaurant. There was also the attraction of a bungee jumping crane. Larry Spatz, the CEO of Baja Beach Nightclub Co., signed a 10-year lease worth $3 million on the Lansdowne Restaurant, according to a Free Press report.
But that didn't last and it was only a few years later that the Lansdowne would no longer be moored in the spot it held since the early 80s. In July 1995, the Lansdowne departed Detroit's riverfront. Specialty Restaurants Corp., had the vessel towed to a storage facility near Cleveland. The owners blamed not having enough parking behind Cobo Arena for Lansdowne's demise.
"We haven't had much luck in Detroit," Jim Dixon, regional manager for Specialty Restaurants Corp., told the Free Press at that time. "Without 200-300 easily accessible parking spaces, we had to valet park."It was a difficult place to operate."
In 1999, the Lansdowne was towed to Erie, Pennsylvania, according to a Erie Times News story posted in AllAboardRailDiscussion group, with the version to be transformed into yet another riverfront restaurant.
The Lansdowne final demise happened in 2005. Still owned by Specialty Restaurant, the vessel sank off Erie, Pennsylvania, where it was docked. According to reports, it's unclear why the boat sank.
Contact Detroit Free Press food writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news to: sselasky@freepress.com. Follow @SusanMariecooks on X (formerly Twitter.) Support local journalism and become a digital subscriber to the Free Press.