Luciano Marcon

Apr 7, 2025

As Opening Day faded into the night, I noticed a vacant commercial space in Downtown Detroit come back alive as the new High Spirits bar soft opened.

Located in the old Garden Pub space (also known as St. Brigid's Bathtub Pub) between Lafayette Gardens and Lafayette Coney Island, the interior of the space has chic vibes without being overly dapper.

Owner Nick Kefallinos told me the grand opening is aimed for the middle of April.

Because of the limitations of the building — High Spirits will be drinks only, and might partner with others for food.

Located at 125 Michigan Avenue in Detroit, they have an Instagram you can follow.

Jer Staes

Mar 9, 2025

Coffee Down Under, an Aussie-inspired basement coffeeshop at Shelby and Congress in Detroit's Financial District, will be done on March 15. They had been open for four years.

From their social media post:

For some time now, a one-person operation has been all we can justify, but that has come with a bit too much unpredictability for the kind of reliable experience we strive to offer our guests.

While this chapter is coming to an end, we’re already working on ideas for what’s next—whether it’s a new concept in our space or the right partner to better suit the space and the evolving downtown landscape. If you have thoughts, we’d love to hear them!

The closure will not impact The Shelby, the bar next door.

I interviewed Coffee Down Under owner Tarun Kajeepeta for PBS Detroit at the start of 2023. He raised concerns then about the decline in office workers.

Of the three businesses I talked to for this piece, two are now gone from downtown. One left their retail space and consolidated at a building they own in Hamtramck, and the other restaurant is open — but has more limited hours and days than before COVID.

In a number of follow-up conversations, I've been told that the area seems to now have more foot traffic on weekends and evenings than during the day as more regional tourists spend time in downtown Detroit.

Jer Staes

Mar 7, 2025

The Owner/Chef Megan Shaw says the new Street Beet spot will be "a full-service dining experience, a walk-up window for quick bites, an innovative bar program heavy on mocktails, and an in-house bakery program."

Street Beet has gotten a name for itself making fast-food inspired plant-based dishes.

They aim to create a true "third space" at 1800 Michigan Avenue in Detroit with "game nights, DJs, and a multifunctional community hub."

Street Beet will be open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner — and do a brunch. They'll be open at their current spot in Third Street Bar until the new spot is ready.

Washed Up Coffee is also coming to the space, ran by Emily Potter and Amélie Haakonsen, will run alongside their breakfast service and serve pastries as well.

If you're a listener to our show, you might know the name Amélie Haakonsen as also is part of Dessert Oasis - who we talked with for Detroit Coffee Week last year.

Haakonsen is adding this project on top of the other work.

No opening dates were given.

Jer Staes

Mar 4, 2025

A local group of restaurants is dealt another blow as their first location — on 1800 Michigan Avenue in Detroit — is closing, according a Facebook post from the owner Matthew Buskard.

Opened in 2015, the spot became a go-to for brunch for awhile. But the concept has been facing challenges at multiple locations, with recent permanent closures in Wyandotte, Ypsilanti, and Clinton Township.

Quoted from the post:

What’s next for Bobcat Bonnie’s is our renewed focus on getting back to who we were, and what our goals were. Fixing some of the issues we see here in the restaurant, fixing some of the mistakes we made, and being able to get back to being the spot that you use to love. Having fun, serving food and community, and a renewed focus on taking care of our people is what we will be working on. Somehow as we grew we lost some of that magic and focus, and as this economy has proven, you got to be at your best because money is tight, and folks are looking for GREAT places to spend those few extra dollars.

Their hope is to "re-create what was great about Bobcat Bonnie's" and "ALL of the Corktown staff" is moving to the Ferndale spot, save for a few who "couldn't join us" and are placed with other jobs in the neighborhood.

Jer Staes

Feb 18, 2025

If you've been around Detroit for at least a minute, you know how important The Clique is. It's this diner on East Jefferson where you might run into everyone from a neighbor to a public official.

Bridge Detroit did a great write-up looking at the ups and downs the spot has faced. Go read the thing.

I'll be honest in that I've lapsed in going since the pandemic. Going to fix it this month. Diner breakfast is the best, IMHO.