Sign of the Beefcarver to close Royal Oak restaurant, the chain's last, on Oct. 25
The family-run cafeteria on Woodward Avenue, open since 1957, says rising food costs, especially for roast beef, and pandemic losses forced the decision. Customers waited up to two hours to eat there Tuesday.
By OCJ Staff
Sign of the Beefcarver, the cafeteria-style roast beef restaurant on Woodward Avenue in Royal Oak, will serve its last meals Sunday, Oct. 25. It is the last restaurant left in the chain.
The owners announced the closing in a Facebook post Sunday, Oct. 18, according to CBS Detroit and WXYZ. A WCRZ report said the last day is Oct. 25 or until the food runs out. None of the reports named the current owners, and none said what will happen to the building.
Why it's closing
In their post, the owners blamed rising food costs, especially the price of roast beef, the restaurant's signature dish, according to the reports. They also said the business has struggled ever since the government-ordered COVID-19 shutdown. The post, as published by FOX 2, also blamed burdensome government policies.
CBS Detroit reported the post said the restaurant could no longer cover those costs and still offer customers a "desirable value proposition."
Long lines Tuesday
Customers waited as long as two hours to eat Tuesday, Oct. 20, FOX 2 reported.
Some employees have worked for the company for decades, and some are unsure what they will do next, according to FOX 2. Levoy Garner, a 30-year employee, told the station the closing is "heartbreaking." He said workers are getting some kind of service package but many will need more help, and that a GoFundMe has been started for some of them.
The restaurant asked customers to support staff by tipping, offering them jobs or helping in other ways, CBS Detroit reported.
On Woodward since 1957
The owners' post, as quoted by FOX 2, refers to 70 years of family operation. WXYZ and CBS Detroit reported the restaurant opened in 1957, which would make it 69 years old.
Jack Joliat and Bob LaJoie opened the Royal Oak restaurant at 27400 Woodward Ave. in 1957, CBS Detroit reported, citing the Royal Oak Historical Society. By 1972, the founders had opened seven more locations around Metro Detroit, the station reported. WCRZ, citing the Detroit Free Press, reported the chain at one point had more than a dozen restaurants, including in Dearborn, Allen Park and Sterling Heights. All of the others have closed.
Sources: FOX 2 Detroit (Oct. 18, updated Oct. 19, and Oct. 20, 2026); CBS Detroit (Oct. 18, 2026); WXYZ (Oct. 18, 2026); WCRZ (Oct. 19, 2026), citing the Detroit Free Press.