On Wednesday, March 4, 2026, a fire occurred at the Georgio's Apple Orchard Inn restaurant located on 62840 Van Dyke Road in Washington. Guests and staff got out safely, and no injuries were reported. The restaurant has been closed for the time being.
Apple Orchard Inn, as we know it, opened in 1978 under the ownership of Martha and Russ Schulz. They can be seen here with their 10-year-old son Brian in the April 12, 1978 issue of The Romeo Observer. The photo was taken by Doug Card. The building previously housed a Ponderosa Bar and Restaurant for a little over 15 years.
Martha came from a family who made their mark in the restaurant business. Her parents, Maria and George Roumell, ran the Roumell Food Service, Inc., in the metro area. They had a lot of business connections including a catering service for Cobo Hall (currently Huntington Place), the Latin Quarter, and the Shiawassee Hotel. George's first restaurant was in New Buffalo, Michigan, and it was named Apple Orchard Inn.
According to the article, "Change of Name Comes With Change of Hands," the Schulzs changed the name of the Ponderosa to the Apple Orchard Inn, which seemed to fit perfectly "with its location in apple country and with the tradition that [Martha's] father began."
The new owners made other changes, while some things remained the same. For example, they altered the decor to give it a more rustic atmosphere. The Schulzs also offered additional dishes of different nationalities like Greek and Mexican, especially the former since Martha's family was of that descent. At the same time, the prices and hours remained the same in 1978, and they promised to continue the Friday night Fish Fry.
The Apple Orchard Inn was a family business from the start. Maria Roumell and Brian Schulz both helped at the restaurant with the latter doing the dishes. Family friend Barb Macri worked as an assistant manager.
The restaurant ran smoothly for a year until a fire broke out and almost completely destroyed the structure on the evening of Sunday, May 27, 1979. According to Fire Chief Gerald Alward, "the fire was reported by a motorist who noticed what he thought was steam coming from the restaurant."
He soon discoverd that it was smoke and called the Washington Fire Department. Chief Alward claimed that the building was fully engulfed with fire and smoke coming out of the roof. Tanker units from Romeo, Bruce, and Ray Townships arrived soon after. They were able to bring the fire under control. The restaurant was closed at the time of the fire. Although an investigation was conducted, the cause has not been revealed.
The Apple Orchard Inn was closed afterwards for a complete remodeling until it reopened in January 1980. The Romeo Observer ran a brief article about it in their January 16th edition.
The Schulzs transferred ownership of the restaurant in the early 2000s, and the new owners changed the name again to Georgio's Apple Orchard Inn by 2003.
If the Apple Orchard Inn survived one fire and thrived for nearly 50 years, it can do it again now.
To learn more about the Apple Orchard Inn, you can contact the Romeo Community Archives at rca@romemodistrictlibrary.org or call (586) 690-4890. If you want to search for articles on that topic, you can find the Romeo newspapers like The Romeo Observer on the Suburban Library Cooperative's Local History Digital Collection website.
Images and sources courtesy of the Romeo Community Archives; Melvin E. and Joan D. Bleich Collection, The Romeo Observer, April 12, 1978, p.8-B; May 30, 1979, p.2-A; January 16, 1980, p.16; and July 2, 2003, p.10-A and Georgio's Apple Orchard Inn Facebook Page