The Rattlesnake Club in Detroit shutters, citing 'changing patterns in dining habits'

Detroit’s long-standing and much-revered restaurant the Rattlesnake Club has permanently closed.

Rattlesnake Club Vice President and CFO, Mark Tuttle, announced in a news release that the restaurant, which has been open for 36 years, final day of service was June 28.

According to the news release, employees were notified on Saturday and offered severance pay. Tuttle said the restaurant employed less than 20 and the staff was notified in person. The Rattlesnake Club website has also been taken down.

“Changing patterns in dining habits, office occupancy and traffic have negatively impacted revenues since the Covid pandemic," Tuttle wrote in the news release. "Private events, which had always been a pillar of the business, have not recovered."

In 1988, well-known, award-winning chef Jimmy Schmidt opened the Rattlesnake Club at Stroh River Place. The Rattlesnake Club was long noted for its fine dining paired with fine wines and stellar service, and its outdoor terrace patio with a view of the Detroit River.

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Not long after its opening, Schmidt won a highly coveted James Beard Award in 1993. It was the city's first.  

The Rattlesnake Club was a constant on the Detroit Free Press list of Top Tables in metro Detroit, making the list in 2001-05. The list featured venues with qualities that make for memorable and special occasion dining and stellar food.

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Sylvia Rector, the late Detroit Free Press restaurant critic, lauded the Rattlesnake Club for its food and chef.

"Newcomers may grab the spotlight from time to time, but when it comes down to food — to fabulous flavors, gorgeous plates and fresh ideas — it's still chef-owner Jimmy Schmidt's Rattlesnake Club that sets the standard for dining in downtown Detroit," Rector wrote in 2005.

In 2010, Schmidt sold his stake in the Rattlesnake Club to the Stroh Companies, according to Free Press reports."We are grateful for the support of our loyal customers over these many years," Tuttle wrote. "Most of all, we are grateful for the loyal service of our dedicated employees."

Contact Detroit Free Press food writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news to: sselasky@freepress.com. Follow @SusanMariecooks on X (formerly Twitter.) Support local journalism and become a digital subscriber to the Free Press.