MOUNT CLEMENS, Mich. (WXYZ) — Two longtime Detroit firefighters turned their brotherhood into a business. Nearly 20 years ago, they opened a restaurant in Mount Clemens that pays tribute to their days in the firehouse.
Watch Jeffrey's report below
John and Greg served alongside one another as Detroit firefighters for many years. Then, almost 20 years ago, they went into business as friends here at the Mount Clemens Engine House.
"Quality food, quality service, and that will get you through a lot," said owner Greg Sisoy.
Sisoy said that advice comes from his friend, colleague and business partner, John Gusumano.
“Yeah, he was always take care of the customer," Greg said of his friend. "Service is everything.”
Sisoy's restaurant and bar has a similar look to where he spent 35 years of his life as a Detroit fireman.
“It’s not a job. It’s more of a way of life. It’s a brotherhood in the firehouse," Greg said.
Sisoy started his career in 1988, 16 years after Gusumano, the man who became his mentor, with both men batting blazes and the bar business.
“So, he kind of took me under his wing and taught me everything he knows," Sisoy said.
Around the bar, you can see firefighting memorabilia and tributes to fallen firefighters, men he calls a part of his brotherhood. His late friend is among them.
“Yep. It was during COVID. He died of COVID, actually, in December of 2020. So, yeah, it was tough," Greg said. "He was a great guy. Big heart. If you needed help, he was always there for you."
The two gutted the space together, building the bar and restaurant you see now, serving drinks, pouring beers, and bringing out food to smiling family and friends. They're using hoses that spray soda, not water, for burning buildings. But it turns out being a firefighter and a bar owner has a bit of a crossover, outside of just the decor.
“You’re taking care of people. You want to do the best job you can do. Make everyone happy," Sisoy said.
Sisoy hung up his jacket three years ago, and I asked him if he found some reprieve during his 15 years wearing both a first responder and a hospitality hat, getting away from the dangers of duty at his bar. But he said it was the opposite.
"I never considered it work, going to the firehouse. It was like a day off," Sisoy said.
Nowadays, he says he still puts out small fires, just the slightly different, service-centric kind. Plus, he says the guys still come by and will give him a hard time every now and again.
“It can be trying sometimes. It’s like old times again, every time they come in," Greg said.
So, to this day, he’s still putting out those small fires and still serving the public in some capacity. Things that make him very happy; this is the Engine House
