By ANDREA POTEET
Sunday Times Newspapers
WYANDOTTE — Some local businesses already are seeing benefits from their small-screen starring roles.
Detroit Public Television’s “Under the Radar Michigan” recently aired a segment profiling some Wyandotte businesses, including Joe’s Hamburgers, River’s Edge Gallery, and Wyandotte Municipal Services’ geothermal energy initiatives. Host Tom Daldin also chatted with Mayor Joseph Peterson at The Grind coffeehouse and dined on muskrat at Dom Polski Bar, showcasing an area Catholic tradition during Lent.
“I talked to Tom afterwards and his best time was going down to Dom Polski’s and actually seeing that we do eat muskrat in this city,” Peterson said.
Joe’s Hamburgers owner Jeremy Sladovnik said he has seen a spike in business since the show aired last week. He estimated that four times as many customers have come into the restaurant since the show aired.
“The turnout from that show has just been amazing,” he said. “I’m ecstatic. I can’t say enough for the turnout. I was busy from open to close and I’m still busy now.”
River’s Edge Gallery Owner Patt Slack said she has received several calls about upcoming gallery shows as a result of the show and has seen traffic to her Website increase. She said one reason Wyandotte was chosen was because her gallery and others in the area host more Michigan artists than most other areas in the state — all within a few blocks.
“They seemed to cover areas that have a lot going on and people people don’t know about it,” Slack said. “Wyandotte is one of those places.”
The show features hidden gems from across the state and is seen in Michigan and neighboring states by up to 4 million viewers. The episode is scheduled to be rerun several times during the summer.