Kuzzo's Chicken & Waffles, the popular eatery on Detroit’s historic Avenue of Fashion, announced it has shut down for a major renovation amid a major road construction project causing struggles for several businesses.

A post Monday on Kuzzo's Instagram account announced it will reopen in November.

Ron Bartell, Kuzzo’s co-owner, said they had planned to close in August for extensive kitchen renovations, but ongoing construction on Livernois Avenue caused them to push the timeline up.

“It was something we have been looking at for two years and the construction moved everything up fast,” Bartell said. “That construction is causing issues for everyone.“

Bartell said Kuzzo’s sales are down 50% since the construction started.

“Fortunately for us, this is something we had been planning, putting everything in motion to close and make these renovations,” he said.

The expansion, Bartell said, includes a complete rehab and expansion of the kitchen, including new equipment.

“(The closing) will give us a chance to look at our operation and see how we can improve, make some changes,” Bartell said. "This is a time for some self-reflection for our business to see how we can reopen and put out a better product.“

Kuzzo's (pronounced KUZ-ohs) opened in January 2015 and made the Free Press' list of Best New Restaurants.

The menu includes the house specialty pairing chicken with waffles. On the menu is a variety of waffle combinations as well as other breakfast, lunch and dinner items. Entrees like shrimp and grits are also a favorite.

The restaurant sits on a stretch of Livernois, between 7 and 8 Mile roads, undergoing major construction and renovations. While many of the businesses remain open, the construction has made accessing local businesses along the stretch challenging. Several businesses have said construction has had a major impact on sales.

Rufus Bartell, who is the uncle of Ron Bartell and the owner of nearby Simply Casual Clothing Store, said the impact to his business and others is real.

"We are down more than half in revenue and it's closer to 60-70% in revenue," Bartell said. "We are asking people to fight through the traffic with us, patronize us so we can survive the construction."

On Facebook, Bartell asked customers to "Park. Walk. Shop. Dine. Explore. ... Livernois ...Tell someone about us.”

“When the construction is done, it will be one of the most beautiful corridors in the city to be sure," Bartell said on Facebook. "However, meanwhile, we need our customers and those who never shopped the Avenue more than ever before.

"We are losing revenue. … Some may not make it," he warned.

Chef Omar Mitchell, owner and executive chef at Table No. 2, which opened in April on Livernois, said the construction has been disappointing and has had a huge impact on them.

“Before the construction started we were excited,” Mitchell said. “The day it started, we lost 60% of our business.“

Because of the impact, Mitchell said, they are pleading with Detroiters to continue to support them, and adding special meal offers.

“It’s our way of getting boots on the ground and butts in the seats,” Mitchell said. “We’ve also encouraged corporate America to have events, folks to have rehearsal dinners or plan special events, to help offset the dollars so we can continue serve the guests.”

Table No. 2 has seating in the dining room for 70 and there are 80 seats on the patio.

The road construction project, according to detroitmi.gov, calls for reconfiguring that stretch of Livernois to have one lane for traffic in each direction and a new dedicated center left-turn lane. There will be wider sidewalks for café seating, new lighting, landscaping and dedicated bike lanes. Construction is expected to be completed in November.

The area is the first of seven commercial corridor revitalization projects that will happen with funding coming from a $125 million bond sale in 2017.

"The Livernois Streetscape project represents a significant opportunity to create a more pedestrian-friendly retail destination in one of the city’s most historic and important commercial corridors,” said Council Member Roy McCalister in an online statement about the project. “I applaud the efforts of the city’s planning department and especially the participation of the many residents and business people whose input was referenced as part of this new vision for Livernois.”

The website also says there are efforts to minimize the impact on businesses including helping them plan activities to draw people to the district.

The Avenue of Fashion is made up of predominantly African American owned businesses, ranging from a bakery to clothing stores to restaurants and art galleries.

Contact food writer Susan Selasky: 313-222-6872 or sselasky@freepress.com. Follow @SusanMariecooks on Twitter.