Detroit, Michigan: Kuzzo's Owner Ronald Bartell Arraigned on Five Felony Tax Counts

The owner of one of Detroit's best known soul food restaurants is facing felony tax charges. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced on Thursday, November 5, that Ronald Bartell, 44, of Detroit, and his business entity, Kuzzo's LLC, were arraigned Tuesday in the 54A District Court in Lansing for allegedly violating Michigan tax law.

Bartell and Kuzzo's LLC are each charged with five counts of Taxes - Failure to File/False Return/Payment, a felony punishable by up to five years in prison, the attorney general's office said. The charges concern alleged violations of state sales tax law during the years Bartell operated Kuzzo's Chicken and Waffles in Detroit, from 2015 to 2026, through Kuzzo's LLC.

The attorney general's release did not detail the specifics of the case, including how much sales tax the state believes is owed, the Detroit Free Press reported. Bartell's attorney, Harrell Milhouse, did not immediately respond to requests for comment, the Free Press said.

What the attorney general said

"Michigan businesses are expected to properly collect, report, and remit the sales tax they collect to the state Department of Treasury," Nessel said in the release. "Sales tax revenue provides essential funding to our public schools and local governments. Businesses that cheat will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law."

The attorney general's office noted that a criminal charge is merely an allegation and that Bartell is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The department does not provide booking photos.

Bartell and Kuzzo's LLC are next scheduled to appear before the 54A District Court in Lansing. No date for that appearance has been set.

A Detroit name, on and off the field

Bartell is a Detroit native who played in the NFL for the Detroit Lions and for the then St. Louis Rams, the Free Press and FOX 2 Detroit reported. He opened Kuzzo's in late January 2015 at 19345 Livernois Avenue, on the stretch of Livernois known as the Avenue of Fashion, and the restaurant quickly became one of the most talked about dining rooms in the city.

Kuzzo's was known for fried chicken paired with red velvet waffles and for soul food staples such as collard greens, and it held its place as a fixture of the historic shopping district for more than a decade. The restaurant closed for about seven months in 2023 before reopening that July, the Free Press reported.

FOX 2 Detroit reported that in the summer of 2025, police conducted an investigation at Kuzzo's and carried out a search warrant at the restaurant. Bartell closed the restaurant for good in February of this year, after 11 years in business. In a farewell social media post, he thanked the city and hinted that the brand could return in another form. "Thank you, Detroit, for believing in us, rocking with us, and making this journey unforgettable," he wrote. "This isn't goodbye, it's see you soon. Stay tuned for what's next."

The case now moves to the 54A District Court, where the state will have to prove the sales tax allegations. For Detroiters, the charges land on a familiar address: a restaurant that fed the Avenue of Fashion for 11 years, run by a hometown player, is now closed, and its owner is a defendant in a felony tax case.