BY WENDI REARDON PRICE
Clarkston News Staff Writer
The windows are covered at 5 South Main Street in downtown Clarkston as new owners Robert Esshaki and Christopher Thomas take over what was once home of The Clarkston News.
“It felt like it was time,” said Jim Sherman, Jr., The Clarkston News publisher and former building owner, about selling.
The CNews office closed to the public on March 20, 2020 due to the COVID pandemic, and Basketful of Yarn, who was also in the building, closed a few days earlier on March 17 following its retirement sale.
“COVID forced us to do a lot of thing we wouldn’t have done,” said Sherman. “If it wasn’t for COVID, we wouldn’t have shut down that office or shut down the Lake Orion office, but COVID happened.”
Esshaki and Thomas, owners of Rudy’s Market, have been wanting to buy 5 South Main Street for 30 years, since they bought the market next door.

“It’s something Robert has always wanted,” Sherman said. “He’s tickled pink he will be able to do something with it. Robert and Chris work well together. They are going to make Clarkston proud.”
“The opportunity came up and we jumped on it because we are looking to expand,” Esshaki said. “It’s a beautiful historic building. We love our building. We have always loved our building just with the way it looks. Now, we have two very different looking historical buildings. It’s great to be part of that history and to own, what I call iconic buildings, in downtown Clarkston. They don’t go up for sale very often, and we are fortunate we own two of them.”
Esshaki said they have short-term and long-term plans for the building, which has a basement, ground level floor and second level floor.
They have leased out the ground level space to Chamberlain’s Auction Gallery for the next 18 months.
“We are going to lease out the top floor,” Esshaki added. “We have had a lot of inquiries.”
Esshaki and Thomas’ long term plans include remodeling Rudy’s Market, adding a restaurant and a speakeasy at the new building.
“However obviously things can change,” Esshaki added. “We have had a lot of inquiries about space so we will do what makes the best sense for us. But, we would like to expand and open a restaurant there. We definitely understand the historical impact of Rudy’s Market and it’s significance to the community. This will give us the opportunity to do both.”
Esshaki and Thomas added the community should be excited for what comes next for the two buildings.
“Rudy’s Market is a beautiful historic building with a lot of charm from the outside,” Esshaki said. “But, it needs updating on the inside. We are excited to have an opportunity to put some money behind improving the inside of the store.”
He added Clarkston has a great restaurant scene that anything they do will only add to a destination for people looking for great restaurants.
“Curt has done an amazing job,” Esshaki said about Curt Catallo’s Union Joints. “His restaurants are outstanding. The Fed, next door to us, is an absolutely gorgeous restaurant. We are excited to be another arm of a restaurant scene.”
He added having food and a menu the other restaurants aren’t offering to enhance Clarkston as a food destination.
“We have some ideas we are kicking around,” he said. Esshaki and Thomas discussed wanting to do a restaurant in “Rudy’s a restaurant,” in the January 8, 2020 edition of The Clarkston News.
“This allows us to keep Rudy’s Market in some form,” Esshaki said. “It’s great for the community. Rudy’s has been for a long time an anchor of the downtown. We are happy we can still support the community with a grocery store.”
Though they have started preliminary drawings and interviewing architects, Esshaki added before they commit to a large project when it comes to remodeling, the restaurant and the speakeasy, two things have to happen.
“We want to make sure the pandemic is fully behind us and the restaurant industry is back to its normal business,” Esshaki said. “We also want to see how the post-pandemic economy is. We want to make sure the pandemic is behind us and economy is in good shape in order to support a restaurant. Restaurants are having a difficult time as it is. It’s one of the reasons we did a short-term lease with Chamberlains Auction Gallery so it gives us a little more time.”
The property 5 South Main Street also includes the parking lot in the southwest corner of Washington and Main streets.
Starting in the spring, Esshaki and Thomas plan to use the lot for a roadside flower stand/produce venue in May, June and July.
“We are really excited for it,” Esshaki said.
Esshaki added from the retail perspective it was an opportunity, he does know it was also a huge opportunity to own both historical buildings and the parking lot from a real estate perspective.
Esshaki and Thomas took over ownership of 5 South Main Street on January 20, 2021.
The Sherman family purchased 5 South Main Street in 1970 and it was the newspaper’s home since.
The building was also once home of Frank Walter & Son Dry Goods, Footwear and Groceries.
Jane Jones, a longtime Clarkston resident shared her friend’s mom used to work there. She would see her in the window and wave.
Theresa and Joe Fabrizio, of Clarkston, shared their thoughts as well.
“If any business were to take over the building, I could not think of a more fitting one than Rudy’s,” they said. “Rudy’s Market is a gem of this community and I am excited to see what their expansion will bring.”

Share your memories of the building at 5 South Main Street by emailing us at clarkstonnews@gmail.com.

  5 South Main Street, downtown clarkston