Mike’s Famous Ham Place has sold, but recipes won’t be lost

The owners of Mike’s Famous Ham Place have sold the business after 50 years in Detroit. 

The last day of work for the shop’s namesake Mike Muftari, and his wife, Yvet, will be Nov. 27, the day before Thanksgiving. Since October, the new owners have been working at the diner to learn the ropes, and say they plan to keep everything the same, except for now accepting card payment. 

Tammy Seitz, a waitress for 35 years at the diner will stay.

“I want to appreciate the customers for supporting us all those 50 years, they’re the best,” said Mike Muftari. “We tried to do our best too, and I wish the new owners to have success and they’re going to keep it the same, wish them best of luck in everything else,” he said, thanking Seitz too. “I want to appreciate Tammy too.” 

Yvete Muftari said they’re feeling great about the sale and looking forward to retiring and relaxing. 

The Michigan Ave. ham shop was sold to Kimberly Lambert, a former city of Detroit police officer and her husband John Lambert, a former electrician, who heard the shop was for sale after reading a BridgeDetroit story. 

“When I saw the article I went to bed thinking about it, woke up thinking about it, this constant thing, something was telling me, make sure that this iconic staple stays,” said Kimberly Lambert, who grew up going to Mike’s Famous Ham Place since she was five or six-years-old and went frequently as an adult. She said the shop “feels like home.” 

The new owners said they plan to keep everything the same, from the soup to the ham to the hours. The only change will be eventually accepting card payment. Lambert said the new owners are also looking for two new waitstaff to join the team, joking that she and her husband aren’t as fast as Mike and Yvete.

“We just want to keep everyone happy,” said Kimberly. 

Carlos Parisi is a local food enthusiast and founder of Detroit’s Sandwich Week and Sandwich Party. He first put out the call to “Save the Ham Shop” in an Instagram post nine months ago, said he’s glad to hear the owners want to keep the shop the same. 

“I’m thankful that it is being operated by someone who sees the value in its tradition and would like to continue on with the understanding that Mike’s Ham is a true gem and there’s really nothing like it anymore in terms of being a ham shop,” he said. 

Lambert and Muftari did not disclose the sale price. 

Ham shops are a Detroit tradition dating back to the mid-1900s, but few remain.  

In 1974, Muftari bought the ham shop from Lile’s Sandwich Shop and kept the name Lile for five years before renaming it “Mike’s Famous Ham Place,” he said. The star at the shop is, of course, the ham. The restaurant’s small but mighty menu offers ham eggs and toast, ham sandwiches, bean and split-pea soups and whole hams. The soups are made fresh daily with ham bones, and even the “small” ham sandwiches are large, piled with thick slices and served with a generous serving of pickles.

“I really wish them well and I really hope the community continues to support them and they continue to support the community in the same way that Mike did,” said Parisi.