New Owner To Spice Up Restaurants

New owner to spice up restaurants

DEC 25 1995

By CATHARINE O'DONNELL

Detroit restaurateur A1 Balooly is buying two restaurants in downtown Ann Arbor: Robby’s at the Icehouse and the restaurant below it, the Oyster Bar & Spaghetti Machine.

Balooly, who used to own a pair of Topinka’s restaurants and other eateries in metro Detroit, said he became interested in the two Ann Arbor places because of the thriving downtown restaurant market here.

His plans are to remodel the interiors and exteriors of both restaurants, located at the comer of First and Huron streets. Robby’s will remain open during the work, but the Oyster Bar & Spaghetti Machine has closed for renovations, possibly to become a moderately priced Italian restaurant.

Of Lebanese descent, Balooly also plans to add some Middle Eastern dishes to Robby’s menu and eventually change the name of the place.

Robby Babcock has owned Robby’s since 1989 and Oyster Bar/Spaghetti Machine since earlier this year. The sale becomes effective when the liquor license is transferred, which Balooly expects will take a few months. The sale price was not disclosed.

Babcock says he sold Robby’s, which serves contemporary American food, because it had not been making enough money. He provided no details about its performance, saying only “It didn’t have public support.”

Babcock previously had owned both the Gollywobbler restaurant on Washtenaw Avenue and the Whiffletree - a restaurant at 208 W. Huron St. that was destroyed by fire seven years ago.