GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Ambiance GR Kitchen and Lounge is no longer open, and it's not because of profits.
In fact, the owners of Ambiance GR said in a Facebook post that the decision to close is all the more serious because the night club was making high profits and had been since its opening in 2021.
It's also not because of what happened inside the club: the owners thanked "musicians and tastemakers, who performed great music" and "all those who believed in our vision" for making Ambience GR a successful night club.
It's because of what was going on outside the club, according to the Facebook post.
"The profound truth is that the business climate and the persistent safety issues that have increased all over downtown, in an unprecedented way, has caused us to reexamine our hefty ongoing investment in this establishment," said the post.
Ambience GR explained that while they invested heavily in security, the atmosphere outside the night club was characterized by loitering and "unwanted" happenings.
Before closing, Ambience GR stressed that they tried other options. The post describes the night club's advocacy for civic partnerships that would help protect and support businesses in downtown Grand Rapids.
"We exhausted every opportunity to engage with invested partners downtown to try and come up with sustainable solutions not just for our business, but for all of those entrepreneurs who have made significant investments to be a part of the downtown ecosystem," said Ambience GR.
The owners of Ambience GR added that their business is not the only one to experience issues of public safety, and while they were disappointed that they couldn't help other businesses, they had to prioritize the wellbeing of their staff and patrons.
The night club closed its doors on November 4.
