Four Years Gone

Way back in 2007 Paul Andoni, co-owner of Shield's Franchise Restaurants LLC, announced that Shield's Pizza was returning to Detroit. The company began to build out space on the ground floor of the Kales building for a summer 2007 opening. That never happened. Construction stalled due to an issue with the exhaust ventilation that necessitated the installation of a 19-story shaft to the roof.

As late as June, 2008 Andoni still planned to open the bar and resturant at the Grand Circus Park location. At some point afterwards a "Construction has been halted" sign was posted and space was abandoned. This recent sign confirms the obvious. Shield's has abandoned the city once more.

Shield's Pizza to Abandon Detroit Again?

Over two and a half years ago Shield's Pizza announced their return to the city after an absence of two decades. Work began in the lobby of the Kales building, but as the months went by, numerous opening day announcements went unmet.

In June of 2008 Owner Paul Andoni addressed the delays. Apparently, construction stalled due to an issue with the exhaust ventilation that necessitated the installation of a 19-story shaft to the roof. At that time it Andoni stated that the restaurant would open by mid-September.

Nearly a year later, it is apparent that no further work has been done on the restaurant. At the begining of April the site was in the same unfinished state that it had been when Andoni made his most recent proclimation. A sign on the door states "construction has been haulted." It remains to be seen if Shield's will ever return to downtown Detroit.