Twin Peaks Restaurants has signed a multi-unit development agreement to open six locations in the Detroit area, the concept’s first restaurants in the state of Michigan.
Motor City Peaks, LLC will open all six Twin Peaks restaurants throughout Southeastern Michigan over the next several years.
The Motor City Peaks team includes Detroit native and lifelong restaurateur, Victor Ansara, and his four sons, Michael, Anthony, Victor Jr., and Nicolas. After growing up in the restaurant industry and spending 20+ years developing restaurants in and around Detroit, Ansara currently owns 22 Red Robin restaurants across Michigan and Northwest Ohio.
Additionally, Ansara operates two 2Booli – “Fresh Mediterranean Eats” locations and Portofino, an original Italian restaurant in Wyandotte on the river. Like their father, Michael and Anthony Ansara conceptualized Burgrz, a fast casual burger chain, and opened their first location in Rochester Hills, Michigan in 2010. They currently have two restaurants open with plans to develop a third. Now the family has set its sights on Twin Peaks.
“Michigan is new territory for Twin Peaks and there’s a huge demand for this kind of concept in the Detroit area,” says Ansara. “We have a huge number of loyal sports fans here and they want a fresh, new restaurant experience and that means more televisions, great food, and a fun atmosphere – that’s exactly what Twin Peaks provides.”
With 36 locations in 16 states, Twin Peaks opened its first location in Chicago earlier this year and has locations in development throughout Indiana and Ohio. Randy DeWitt, the company's CEO, believes Michigan fits perfectly with the concept's expansion plans.
“We’re excited to continue our Northern development into the Detroit area,” DeWitt says. “Fans are hungry for the Twin Peaks experience and that excitement is building across the country as we continue to open restaurants to meet demand."
Twin Peaks is known for its rugged mountain lodge atmosphere, homemade comfort food, 29-degree draft beer, high-definition televisions, and the Twin Peaks Girls.
“I’d read a lot of articles about Twin Peaks and after visiting the restaurant in Scottsdale during a trip, I was sold,” Ansara says. “We were impressed by the Twin Peaks Girls’ training and the front-of the-house service which really took the hospitality to the next level. Twin Peaks is a concept that’s going to be around for a long time and we can’t wait to get started.”
The Motor City Peaks group is currently scouting locations in the Detroit area for the first restaurant and plan to be open for business as early as next summer.
“We are thrilled to have seasoned franchise operators like the Ansaras join the Twin Peaks team,” says Shannon Glaser, senior director of franchising at Twin Peaks. “Their extensive expertise will be invaluable to our growth plans as we continue to expand in new markets.”
