DUTTON, Mich. — Oskar Scots has faced another setback in its journey to reopen. Just as owner Randall Scott was preparing to relaunch after months of structural repairs, thieves struck, making off with thousands of dollars' worth of essential equipment.
The restaurant moved into its current space on 68th Street in June 2023, when Scott took over the location and rebranded it as Oskar Scots.
“It took us about three and a half weeks to move and get ready and I demolished this place inside and redid everything and opened up for business,” Scott told FOX 17 Friday. “We were thriving right from the get-go.”
However, roof leaks soon became a persistent issue, culminating in a collapse on June 7, 2024.
“My staff walked into the roof collapsing inside the building, and it was bad,” he recalled.
The resulting damage and subsequent flooding forced Scott to undertake extensive repairs.
It was a long process — extremely frustrating and expensive.
After the roof was initially fixed, Scott found himself dealing with yet another issue: broken water lines.
“It filled the restaurant back up with about eight and a half inches of water,” he recalled.
“The water line burst due to the roof collapsing and me not being able to come into my restaurant and use my coffee makers and my machines that were used to having water running through them constantly. So, that built-up pressure of not being used burst.”
By August 2024, contractors had finished everything they needed to do with the roof and electricity.
In December, contractors were set to come inside and finish repairing the last of the floors.
On Jan. 5, 2025, Scott returned to find his equipment, including massive food prep tables and an 18-foot Carefree awning, stolen from outside the restaurant.
Surveillance footage captured the thieves in action, showing them struggling to load the equipment onto a pickup truck.
Despite the setbacks, Scott remains determined to reopen Oskar Scots.
"Everybody wants me to open, including me," he said.
They were originally set to open back up on Jan. 13 — now that has to be pushed back.
“Per the health department today, he told me, 'You have to have these tables in your restaurant before I even come and do an inspection.'”
He is now figuring out how to make that happen.
The Kent County Sheriff's Office is investigating the theft.
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