Chef Matt Prentice’s Trowbridge Restaurant Group has hired a chief operating officer to help the struggling company grow.
Eric Djordevic served as the Detroit Athletic Club’s assistant food and beverage director and cellar master prior to starting his new post Friday at the Bingham Farms-based group of upscale Metro Detroit restaurants and delis.
Prentice, president of Trowbridge, said Friday he hopes Djordevic will be a catalyst for the group’s growth. One aim will be to expand with new concepts, including a quick service restaurant format.
“Eric is a very young, aggressive, talented executive,” Prentice said. “I adore his way of looking of things. He’s well beyond his years.”
The recession took its toll on the owner of Coach Insignia in Detroit’s Renaissance Center, No. VI Chophouse in Novi and Northern Lakes Seafood in Bloomfield Hills.
Prentice formed The Matt Prentice Restaurant Group three decades ago but sold it to attorney Stanley Dickson in 2009. Business at Coach Insignia in particular suffered as General Motors made cuts and reduced visits to the restaurant atop its tower headquarters. Then, earlier this year, Prentice filed for Chapter 7 personal bankruptcy protection.
The group shuttered two restaurants — Shiraz in Bingham Farms and Tavern on Thirteen in Beverly Hills — in December. Trowbridge also owns four delis in Southfield, Novi, West Bloomfield and Bloomfield Hills and a catering business.
It’s been a rough few years for Michigan’s restaurants, amid waning disposable income, rising food costs and razor thin profit margins, according to Andy Deloney, spokesman for the Michigan Restaurant Association. Many restaurants have had to re-evaluate their menus and replace costly items with more affordable fare.
Similar Posts:
- Bike chain adds Detroit area links
- Do You Like Bacon?
- Food truck rolls in with big plans as a trendsetter
- McDonald’s Move May Make Healthy Business Sense
- Whole Foods to set up shop in Detroit’s Midtown
Tags: Group, Restaurant Group