Here’s the feel-good backstory of Crave’s Canton comeback
Melissa Capobianco, who is reopening the Canton Crave location with husband Nick, is pictured with her Crave completion-of-training certificate.
For the past few years, Saline residents Melissa and Nick Capobianco have been craving the opportunity to own and operate their own southeast-Michigan restaurant.
Weeks after the one-year-old Crave Hot Dogs & BBQ franchise in Canton closed abruptly in January, the Capobiancos — both of whom currently excel in customer service-related professions — pounced on the chance to take ownership and reopen the eatery at 5800 N. Sheldon.
“When we learned there was an opportunity to own and operate a Crave location that was so close to where we lived, we immediately reached out to Crave executives and told them we were interested,” Melissa Capobianco explained. “Everything about Crave matches our values — a family-friendly restaurant that prides itself on customer service.
“We received the keys to the location about a month ago and every weekend since we’ve been getting it ready to reopen. Now it’s just a matter of getting all of the permits and paperwork approved.”
Reopening is imminent
Melissa said she expects Crave to reopen “within a couple of months” as long as the permit-securing protocols go off without a hitch.
“My husband and I are both very excited about this opportunity,” she said. “We posted a reopening post on Facebook that has received a lot of positive comments and feedback. We’re really looking forward to meeting all of our customers.”
Crave executives did not explain to the Capobiancos the reasons that the location did not succeed under its previous ownership, but they’re confident that the brand’s unique offerings — including a self-pour beer wall, an ax-throwing alley (dubbed CR-AXING) and a popular hot dog-and-barbecue-themed menu — will prove to be ingredients in the location’s recipe for success.
Capobianco confirmed the Canton Crave will continue its crowd-pleasing trivia nights and live-music performances.
Spacious location
The Canton location’s 4,000 square feet is reportedly the second-largest Crave in the country in terms of square footage.
It includes 11 wall-mounted big-screen televisions and a menu populated by gourmet hot dogs, barbecue (smoked brisket, pulled chicken and pulled pork, to name a few), salads, wings and kids meals.
“Everything will remain the same aesthetically inside the restaurant,” Capobianco explained. “The fact that everything is already set up has made the transition that much smoother for us.”
The couple’s excitement for reopening Crave has been shared by the Capobiancos’ 3-year-old son Kane, Melissa confirmed.
“He knows mom and dad are going to be owning a restaurant that serves delicious hot dogs and mac and cheese, so he’s definitely thrilled about that,” Melissa said, smiling.
SocialHouseNews.com will provide updates once the date for the Crave grand reopening is announced.
Ed Wright can be reached at 734-664-4657 or edwright@hometownlife.com.
