REAL SEAFOOD: 'Godfather' of Ann Arbor, Dennis Serras, Eyes Bay City
April 29, 2014
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Dennis Serras holds court as "the godfather of Main Street" in Ann Arbor.
Artist's conception of interior of Real Seafood Company slated to open in Uptown Bay City.
The Ann Arbor Observer calls him "the godfather of Main Street."
Soon he may be known as the "godfather of Uptown Drive in Bay City.
He is Dennis Serras, mastermind of the Real Seafood Company and a partner in Mainstreet Ventures which operates 16 restaurants in five states.
Four of the firm's restaurants are in the 300 block of Ann Arbor's Main Street: Real Seafood, Palio, Gratzi, and the Chop House (and a dessert annex, La Dolce Vita).
On May 8 he will open another restaurant, this one on East Liberty in Ann Arbor. Piata was inspired by an Italian eatery in Toronto featuring a youthful spirit and interactive dining experiences, says Serras. The 6,000 square foot restaurant will feature high-top dining, an open-air antipasto bar and portion sizes on both food and wines that encourage diners to try a variety of options during each meal.
The Observer credits him with remaking downtown Ann Arbor. "More than any other factor, they turned Main Street into a sophisticated nighttime entertainment district," wrote Sally Mitani of the Observer.
Dennis, 64, who is from Schenectady in upstate New York, attended Eastern Michigan University, and after joining up with Ellie, decided to make it his permanent residence.
"A true restaurateur, Dennis always knew he would settle for no less than living in a lively and vibrant downtown, creating new, exciting restaurant concepts and watching the community embrace them," the firm comments on its website, adding:
"At the conception of Real Seafood Co., he saw a need for a great restaurant with a charming atmosphere to reinforce the appeal that downtown Ann Arbor had become known for. It was an instant success and has been the hot spot for the freshest top-catch fish and premium seafood for over 37 years and counting!"
The Observer observed: "Son of Greek immigrants who owned a couple of diners, he knew the trade, but he had no idea of starting a restaurant empire. He began working night shifts in bars and pizza joints. "I was a short-order cook at the Lamplighter. I made pizzas at Cottage Inn. I was night manager at the Brown Jug, tended bar at Golden Falcon, and managed the Pin Room." But it was in 1973 when he took a new job managing the Gandy Dancer, a Chuck Muer restaurant, "that the lights went on."
The lights have been blinking ever since and are slated to open in Bay City early in 2015, featuring fresh fish from New England, the Gulf of Mexico and the Great Lakes. Bay City's Real Seafood Co. will have two levels of seating with 200 seats inside and 100 outside as well as an upstairs and outdoor bar.
The restaurant here is expected to employ about 100 people and will add 20 seasonal employees in the summer.
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