Long-time Plymouth Bode’s Corned Beef resold in less than 1 year
Bode’s Corned Beef House has been sold again, less than a year after new owners assumed the operation.
The building on North Main Street that houses the restaurant remains on the market, according to a spokesman from the CMP Real Estate, the firm handling the sale.
The operating business, one of the oldest and best-known businesses in the city, will continue to operate, a source close to the sale said, although no details were available as the sale was covered by a non-disclosure agreement. The property at 280 N. Main St. was pitched as a freestanding restaurant that has operated since 1959 and sits at the entrance to downtown Plymouth. Marketing materials say extensive interior and exterior renovations have been completed, so the building could work as a turnkey restaurant while keeping some of the historic character. The materials also claim the restaurant location draws customers from Plymouth, Plymouth Township and Canton Township.
The real estate listing for the 3488 square foot building on .20 acres notes the asking price for the building and the business at $1.5 million while the purchase price for the business only was set at $300,000.
The Realtor was precluded from revealing the name of the purchaser or the price due to the non-disclosure agreement covering all details of the sale.
The listing follows a turbulent stretch for the restaurant. Last fall, Bode’s owners said the business had to close because the building owner had sold to a new company. The last day of those operators was Dec. 19, with a staff fundraiser organized earlier that month. The restaurant operators had said the closure was not something they would have chosen. The business itself had also changed hands before: at least twice in the past 12 years, in 2013 and again in 2019.
The building owner said notice of that pending sale had been provided to the operators and denied claims that the sale was sudden or a surprise.
The closure did not last. Bode’s reopened under new ownership after renovations were completed during the closure. A family member of the new owners said they bought Bode’s because they saw how much the community loved it and wanted to keep its name and legacy alive. The restaurant Facebook page currently describes it as under new ownership, with a refreshed menu that keeps the famous Wigley’s corned beef sandwiches.
For many Plymouth residents, the restaurant is part of the city’s identity. When it reopened, one customer told reporters that part of Plymouth would have died if Bode’s had. Another had voiced worry during the closure about losing yet another piece of the city.
