TWICE THE CHOICES
Diamond’s Steakhouse downtown converting to two new restaurants
Diamond’s Steakhouse in downtown Royal Oak is ready to switch up its operations and turn the first floor into two separate restaurants with a wall between them.
Adam Merkel, owner of Diamond’s and Pinky’s Rooftop restaurant on the second floor, said construction is already underway while the restaurant is closed.
“We’ll probably be ready in the next 45 days or so,” he said. “It’s a tough time but we’re trying to muscle through.”
The COVID-19 pandemic and states current in- door restaurant dining ban has spurred several downtown restaurant owners to make changes in ownership and operations with an eye on the future.
Only some minor seating changes are planned for Pinky’s Rooftop.
But on the first floor Merkel is creating an eatery called Diamond’s Bohemia, which will serve Mediterranean dishes.
The other restaurant, Pearl’s Deep Dive, will feature seafood entrees.
Each of the two new restaurants will have separate entrances in the vestibule at the corner of 11 Mile Road and Main Street.
“It’s such a large first floor we thought maybe we should diversify a little bit,” Merkel said. “The Bohemia offers a Mediterranean, hip concept ... We know we’ve wanted to go more on the healthy side, even making our own hummus, which takes three days to make.”
Merkel appeared during Royal Oak’s virtual City Commission this week because he had to get approval for a change in his plan of operation.
All bars and restaurants with liquor licenses are required to get approval for their plans of operation following a review by the city police department.
Seating for Diamond’s Bohemia will accommodate 82 people, including 12 seats at the bar. Pearl’s Deep Dive will have a total of 63 seats, with nine of them at the bar.
“This request is 27 (fewer) seats than Diamond’s Steakhouse’s current plan of operation,” said Royal Oak Police Lt. Keith Spencer in a memo after he reviewed the plan.
Merkel will increase the outdoor seating area from 16 to 20, Spencer said.
Final overall capacity for Pinky’s, Bohemia and Pearl’s will be set by the police department after inspections and reviews by the city fire and building departments.
Merkel owns three other restaurants in Howell, in Livingston County. He opened Diamond’s Steakhouse and Seafood in Royal Oak in late 2018 at the site of the former Cantina Diablo’s. The former Red Fox English Pub on the second floor was converted to Pinky’s early last year.