Taste of Development
Detroit Developments in the World of Food and Drinks
While it’s taking the office real estate market a while to rebound from COVID, it seems that the restaurant industry is back and thriving. While lunch time spots for downtown workers have struggled, a new wave of dining and nightlife is hitting Detroit at the end of 2023 and into 2024. While residential and office developments are important to the health of a city, service industry developments offer something for residents, workers, and visitors alike. Let’s take a look at some recently announced and upcoming developments in the bar and restaurant world.
Upper Woodward
While the area around Campus Martius and lower Woodward has been thriving for years, the restaurant market up Woodward and around Grand Circus has ebbed and flowed. With recent additions like Tin Roof, Buddy’s and the Statler, there’s been some momentum picking up to reinvigorate this area of downtown. Recently, there’s been quite a few announcements of new bars and restaurants coming in to further solidify Grand Circus as an area for nightlife.
The most prominent of these new developments may be Gilly’s, a sports bar concept originally created by the late Nick Gilbert, and carried on by the Gilbert family, ROCK, Bedrock, and 7OH2 Hospitality. Gilly’s not only brings a new restaurant, but brings an entire newly renovated building to 1550 Woodward Ave, and includes multiple floors of restaurant and event space, plus a rooftop. The building, formerly the Kay Baum Building, has been vacant since 2004. It’s safe to assume this will be one of the nicest new restaurants in town on the inside, but I’m excited to see what their menu looks like. I would be surprised if it isn’t catered towards those on the way to and back from sporting events, as Tin Roof has shown this to be a huge market.
Presley’s Kitchen and Bar is still under construction in the first floor of the David Whitney building. Originally scheduled to open this fall, work is still going on by the Roxbury Group through Treefort Hospitality and the new “upscale American Brassiere” is scheduled to open early next year. The retail/restaurant space in the Whitney hasn’t seemed to yet take a hold on the prime real estate it occupies, so hopefully Presley’s is different. There should be no shortage of sports fans and concert goers passing by their windows in the next few years, so they should have plenty of opportunities for customers.
A bit less is known about Easy Peasy, slated to take the slot on the corner of John R and Woodward, which was most recently Cornerstone Barrel House. Before it closed, Cornerstone occupied the first floor while also operating Whiskey Disco out of the basement, with a more club and event space vibe. It’s my assumption that Easy Peasy will operate primarily as a bar, while utilizing the basement space in a similar fashion as previous owners. Word on the street is that Easy Peasy will be owned by experienced Detroit bar owners, so I have high hopes.
Just a few blocks over, Mootz Pizzeria is planning an expansion into the space that formerly housed Vault of Midnight. Mootz has become a staple over the past few years for both a nice dinner out, and a 1 a.m. snack at the end of the night with their separate space for take out slices. Soon, they’ve been able to service even more customers as they expand their bar and dining room capabilities.
Lousiana Creole
The longstanding Eastern Market restaurant is moving up, both in size and up Gratiot. Louisiana Creole Gumbo is moving from the location they’ve occupied for the past few decades, but just a few blocks up Gratiot and to a much larger space. The black owned institution has been praised for its food, but has operated as a primarily take out spot. They are readying to expand their capabilities.
The new spot will continue serving up the gumbo and jambalaya they are known for, but now they will be able seat people in a dining room and patio, while guests enjoy the addition of a liquor license. The new space is an Art Deco design built in 1933, and will soon by a new space for the neighborhood to enjoy as we continue to see development around Eastern Market and Lafayette Park.
To me, this is almost the perfect showing of how we see a city grow. The long time take out spot being able to open up a full service restaurant that will be able to greater service the neighborhood. This new restaurant will be place to go out to dinner, hand out for a drink, or host events at. A vacant building is renovated, and a great piece of architecture is preserved.
Looking forward to 2024
While certain markets may think of 2024 as a year of uncertainty, especially being an election year, the restaurant market seems to just keep growing and growing. Neither Trump nor Biden can change Detroiter’s love for a good meal. I’m equally as excited to see the new Chipotle open downtown as I am to see Michelin star chefs open up new spots. The new spots to grab a bite are great on their own, but they will also serve as great developments to fill in some empty spots and prop up new buildings.