FERNDALE — After seven years, Bobcat Bonnie’s in Ferndale announced it would be closing.

The popular downtown restaurant, located at 240 W. Nine Mile Road, made the announcement on social media June 1.

The restaurant ownership said in a prepared statement that they loved being a part of the Ferndale community, while also teasing that another operator will be taking over the space in due time.

“After Corktown *wink*- Ferndale is one of the best neighborhoods in the Detroit area,” the statement reads. “We are so lucky to have been a part of it.”

Bobcat Bonnie’s previously had several other Michigan locations, including in Corktown — the business’s first location — Wyandotte and Clinton Township, though all have since closed over the past year. The last restaurant currently open is in Lansing.

“Thank you Ferndale for truly changing so many of our lives,” the business said. “And thank you for changing mine- and building my confidence to be myself without wavering. It is so empowering to live in this community.”

Bobcat Bonnie’s owner Matthew Buskard could not be reached for further comment.

Downtown Development Authority Executive Director Jennie Beeker said the city has a strong restaurant scene and it hurts to lose one, as people had a fondness for Bobcat Bonnie’s

“It’s a really tough time, still, for restaurants,” she said. “I know that people are experiencing the challenges of inflation and how they make their budgets, and restaurants are too. So, I’ll always encourage people to visit the places that they want to see more of and support them in any ways that you can, because it makes a difference in those places being available, the staff that work there. So, our restaurant scene is really a livelihood for a lot of people in the local community, so we want to make sure that folks are taken care of and that we have these great spaces to enjoy.”

Beeker added that almost everything nowadays is more expensive and that it’s hard to operate a small business. She encourages anyone, if they have the opportunity, to go to a local business and support it.

“It makes so much more of a difference when you spend that in a local or small operating business because they’re supporting employees, often supporting families,” she said. “It’s always an encouragement to try and support what you want to see more of in your community.”

Though she doesn’t know any information about a new business coming to the Nine Mile location, Beeker hopes something can come in and fill the space quickly.

“I think it’s a natural fit in Ferndale,” she said. “It’s a beautiful space. They did a lot to make it very vibrant. … It’s a great space, so it’d be nice to see something come in there soon.”