Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


*** The City's Downtown Development Authority has since issued a response to the story, on 7/21/23, which is attached.


Another business in downtown Brighton is closing its doors due to the ongoing Streetscape construction project.

Total Cluster Fudge closed roughly a week ago. Gregg Giorgio is one of four owners of the business that opened up on Main Street in 2019. It’s across the street from Ginopolis Bar-BQ, which also recently announced it would be closing at the end of the month due to the ongoing construction.

While the retail store is downtown, Giorgio said they’re fortunate to also have a commercial whole sale bakery aspect – which is the bulk of their business – so it’s not as bad for them as compared to some of the other mom-and-pop type stores or restaurants. Their products can be found in various stores and gas stations, such as Meijer and Speedway.

Giorgio said they opened before COVID hit and like any store, worked to build recognition and sales and were gaining momentum but then the pandemic put all of that to a stop. He said they were just starting to bounce back and build momentum again when the construction project hit and brought everything to a halt – adding it’s been very tough to keep things running and try to just break even. While they do have a back entrance, Giorgio said access had already been difficult when the resurfacing project on Grand River was being done and that affected sales. Then once Main Street was closed and torn up, he said things only got worse with less people venturing downtown.

Not being a primary destination, Giorgio said weather always played a factor with foot traffic but they would do well when people were just out and about in downtown – adding the opening of the new Sidecar Slider Bar restaurant next door also helped bring in more business. However, he said it got to the point over the last few weeks that they were doing $62 in sales on a Friday and maybe $215 on a good Saturday while still having to pay bills, rent, and employees.

Pre-COVID and pre-construction, Giorgio said on a good Saturday with good weather they would make close to $1,000 and they’re just a small bakery so he can’t imagine what the restaurants are going through. Looking back, he said they probably would have closed sooner had they known sales would have been so small.

Giorgio said they’ve heard the same woes from various other businesses downtown that are struggling. He said his larger issue with everything is that there was no direct help or support for the businesses and thought there would have been more assistance for those that still have to pay their rent and are the ones directly suffering from the work.

Giorgio says they have a five-year lease that expires at the end of the year, so they have a couple of months to determine if they’ll renew or not. He said they’re looking to work with a business broker to try and find someone to potentially run the business under the Total Cluster Fudge name - which is something they would consider because they really don’t want to get rid of the retail business.

Giorgio said it’s been fun for the past five years and the closing stinks and is bittersweet but at the end of the day it comes down to dollars and cents – again stating he just feels like there was no direct support to help those who were already here and trying to stick through it.

Giorgio added that while the City has indicated everything will be worth the short-term pain when the project is done - “that’s for who is still standing”. Giorgio stressed that he loves Brighton and the downtown and is sure everything will look phenomenal when it’s done but it’s the business owners who are impacted and that’s his struggle.

The full interview with Giorgio can be heard on WHMI's Viewpoint program this Sunday morning at 8:30.

In addition to Total Cluster Fudge and Ginopolis, Rosy’s Boutique that was also located downtown closed after nearly a decade at the end of May.

Photo: Google Street View.