5951 Chene Street
A. J. Spigel’s Store, Kuplicki Hardware, Stanley’s Market, Dan & Vi’s Pizza Deli
This structure was ravaged by fire just over three years ago. The owners pledged that it’ll reopen; however, from the exterior, it doesn’t appear that any work has been completed to move that process forward. That said, we’ll get there.
I’m not certain when this structure was built. A building permit was filed in May 1893 for a two-story frame dwelling for A. J. Spigel worth $1,300, but I’m not sure that’s the current structure. It may have been rebuilt in 1910, 1912, or at another point.
In 1894 and 1895, A. J. Spigel sold alcohol out of the structure. Over the next two decades, there were numerous mentions in the paper of people who lived above the commercial space on the ground level.
Thanks to Andy Brogowicz’s research, I know that the Kuplicki Hardware Store operated on the main floor between 1903 and 1922. After that, I’m not certain what happened to the structure. Chene Street was a vibrant community with all sorts of businesses, and the Poletown Plant wouldn’t cut off the thoroughfare from Hamtramck for decades, making this a valuable area near St. Stanislaus Church and School.
In 1963, Dan & Vi’s was born. Founded by Daniel J. and Violet Paluch on Chene Street, the original location was across the street near where this structure stands today. In addition to Dan & Vi’s, the couple may have owned the Schuper Bar on Chene Street.
According to an advert for Kowalski Meats, the commercial space was Stanley’s Market in 1966. I’m not certain when Dan & Vi’s jumped across the street; however, it quickly became a Chene Street institution.
In October 1979, Daniel J. Paluch died at the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor. He was only 46.
In the early 1980s, Dan & Vi’s struggled alongside most of Chene Street. General Motors new Poletown Plant cut off what we now call Poletown East from Hamtramck and surrounded the neighborhood by a highway and a factory. By the late 1980s, the city would complete the Detroit Incinerator on the other side, adding another hurdle for the remaining businesses in the area.
As time passed, many businesses folded, but not Dan & Vi’s. Despite skidding onto thin ice thanks to the Poletown Plant cutting the main artery that fed traffic on Chene Street, people at the plant needed to eat, and Dan & Vi’s was the closest spot for lunch. Plus, old customers still returned from the suburbs to get food there and visit with friends.
Later, John Pazarena, a customer, said, “They still survived. They had a love for the neighborhood. Everyone in the neighborhood was family. They maintained that building and they took care of everyone, providing jobs and provide a place for people to come to.”
In 1990, Violet ‘Vi’ Paluch retired. She sold the building and business to another family member when she did. According to the Detroit Free Press, the building was sold by Violet Paluch to William Skinner for $25,000.
While most businesses on Chene Street closed, Dan & Vi’s chugged on under new ownership. At some point, ownership was transferred to Marian Skinner. On the downtown side of the structure, murals were painted by local kids with Coca-Cola signage and messages of racial unity, which are still there today.
Violet’ Vi’ Paluch died on Monday, November 13, 2017. She was 83. Born in Highland Park, she was a strong Detroiter and a patriot for the neighborhood.
On Wednesday, December 9, 2020, an electrical fire started inside the structure overnight. The interior was damaged significantly; however, the structure was salvageable. The business quickly launched a GoFundMe to pay their employees to help them get through the holidays. At the time, the business was still in the hands of the Skinner family.
The owners began the process to reopen the business; however, it wouldn’t be easy. When renovating, the structure would have to be brought up to code, which takes time and money. In their most recent Facebook post, they said that they were finally able to close on the first part of a loan to start work. That was in August 2022, and the page has been quiet since. To my eye, the structure hasn’t changed since then, either.
At some point, there was a load of restaurant equipment for sale on Facebook Marketplace that said it came out of Dan & Vi’s. This could be a part of the renovation process; however, I have to admit, the future of Dan & Vi’s doesn’t look promising.
I hope that I’m wrong and that Dan & Vi’s reopens. At the least, saving this historic structure should be the top priority. The City of Detroit is so demolition-happy; we shouldn’t give them any hope that they’ll get to have this one!
