Dining : Detroit Development News

2011 Hatch Detroit semi-finalist Anthology Coffee is continuing to build its brand and work on a permanent café in Corktown – happy news, as just a couple of months ago it seemed like they were going to cease all operations.
 
In 2012 Anthology signed a lease at 2051 Rosa Parks (an office building in Corktown). After some initial efforts were made towards build-out, progress stalled for months and Anthology owner Josh Longsdorf made the decision to leave. At the same time, Anthology also fell short on an Indiegogo campaign that was meant to purchase new equipment; Longsdorf had to use that money to pay off coffee contracts he had purchased in anticipation of being fully open at 2051 months early.
 
Though he continued to have a presence at the MOCAD Café and a successful pop-up at Ponyride (the collaborative artists' and entrepreneurs' incubator/office/makerspace in Corktown), an email went out to Anthology subscribers in February announcing that they would be shutting down business operations at the end of March.
 
With a family to support and another full-time job in addition to his work at Anthology, Longsdorf thought it would be best to close and try again in a few years. Wholesale accounts wouldn't have it. Neither would Phil Cooley, owner of Ponyride.
 
Anthology's new home is at Ponyride, and they are currently undergoing renovations for their permanent retail café space. The painting, electrical, and façade work is almost complete, and they will build additional seating and move the bar to create more of an interactive experience with the brewing and roasting processes (for those who wish to watch and ask questions). Longsdorf also hopes to put in bay doors that will open out onto Ponyride's planned patio. Custom espresso equipment has been ordered from Modbar.com; once that arrives, the build-out will be completed – estimated mid-summer.
 
In the meantime, you can visit Mondays through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Wednesdays until 5 p.m.), and during the Guns & Butter six-course dinner pop-up through the end of this month (which Anthology is hosting and also collaborating on).
 
Source: Josh Longsdorf, owner of Anthology Coffee
Writer: Nicole Rupersburg

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As the Crowne Plaza Hotel Pontchartrain undergoes a serious exterior overhaul to prepare to welcome its first guests this June, the overhaul happening inside is just as ambitious, both in design and concept.
 
The Jefferson House will be the Pontch's primary restaurant, located across from the lobby. The look is modern meets old world: copper leaf ceilings, plush cream-colored chairs, dark-stained wainscoting covering the walls. It's warm and rich and comfortable, refined without being too stuffy. They'll serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, and will also have a 40-seat outdoor patio on Jefferson. Attached to the Jefferson House is Urban Cellars, the hotel's sizable bar, which will specialize in craft cocktails.
 
Overseeing the operation of both concepts is executive chef and director of food & beverage Justin Vaiciunas. The menu Vaiciunas has created for Jefferson House and Urban Cellars is an exploration of cutting-edge American fusion cuisine. Expect to see the highest-quality ingredients in exquisitely artful presentations, though not impossibly high-end (or high ticket). The Jefferson House and Urban Cellars will open in June with the hotel.
 
The lobby will have a quick grab-and-go café called Tabatchi, which will serve Starbucks coffee and pre-prepared sandwiches and sushi for busy travelers. The hotel will also feature up to 15,000 square feet of completely renovated banquet space.
 
In addition to these new concepts, long-term plans include re-opening the second-floor terrace, as well as re-opening the iconic Top of the Pontch.
 
The 25th floor restaurant, bar and lounge will be totally reimagined – in contrast to the Jefferson House's neutral palette and old-world appeal, the new Top of the Pontch will be flashy, all glass and waterfalls, bringing Vegas style to Detroit. The menu will be ambitious fine dining.
 
Looking ahead, developer Gabriel Ruiz plans on building the hotel's second tower, which was part of the original Pontchartrain's design though never built, and connecting both towers via skywalk to Cobo Center. These plans are at least three years out.
 
Source: Justin Vaiciunas, Executive Chef and Director of Food & Beverage of the Crowne Plaza Hotel Pontchartrain
Writer: Nicole Rupersburg

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Anton Vulaj, who goes by the nickname "Tony V," has two new restaurants opening in the coming months in Midtown.
 
Vulaj is no stranger to the Midtown restaurant market: he's been in the game for 14 years now as the owner of the Olympic Grill on Warren and Campus Diner on Cass, both just steps away from the Wayne State University campus. "I like the neighborhood," he says. "Clientele-wise I know I won't have a better clientele than I do with Wayne State University."

So when the old Alvin's building on Cass came up for sale, he didn't waste any time. Tony V's Tavern will open later this year (once they receive a liquor license) and will offer what Vulaj says is a "simple menu using good product … we're not going for high prices like some of the restaurants in the neighborhood." He promises high-quality food with low prices; items will range in price from $6-10 and, he says, "We're not going to have a $10 burger."
 
Tony V's Tavern will have a full bar and features a wood-fired brick oven. One of the highlights of the menu will be build-your-own pizzas and a pizza and salad lunch buffet. And, since Alvin's was known for live music and entertainment, Tony V's will continue to have live music every weekend. Tony V's will be open 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily. The kitchen will be open lunch, dinner, and late-night.
 
Vulaj is also a partner in the new Midtown Zeff's, along with Violet, Victoria, Lisa, and Anita Balurshaj, daughters of the original owner of Zeff's Coney Island in Eastern Market (who sold the restaurant several years ago). Midtown Zeff's will open in May serving breakfast and lunch, and will offer healthier options than a typical diner.
 
Source: Tony Vulaj, owner of Tony V's Tavern
Writer: Nicole Rupersburg

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Midtown workers and residents have yet another option for weekday lunch and dinner: La Palma Mediterranean Cuisine, located at the corner of Canfield and John R.
 
Opened just two weeks ago, La Palma is an open, airy space with prepared foods and select pre-made hot items displayed in cases by the cash register, and options for carry-out or sit-down service.
 
The space is immaculate, and far exceeds any expectations for a quick grab-and-go kind of restaurant, which is ultimately what this is. Owner Adam Maheawiyan says that he saw a need for this kind of fast, casual, healthy Mediterranean cuisine after being involved with Biomet on Canfield for the last five years. Specifically he noticed that this was a busy corner with plenty of built-in clientele (thanks to the nearby DMC, Karmanos Institute, and Wayne State University School of Medicine), but a previous business in this location (a deli) did not meet his standards of service. When the space became available, he took it.
 
Everything they serve is made from scratch in-house, right down to the dressings and bread. The bread is baked in a custom-built brick oven, one of the showpieces of the restaurant. But once you're inside, don't forget to look up: hand-carved curved wooden panels on the ceiling took two months themselves to complete. There is also detailed stone and brickwork and ceramic tile floors. All construction was overseen by the Livonia-based firm the Nam Group, a company in which Maheawiyan is also a partner.
 
Maheawiyan says the space, which was totally gutted from previous tenants, was designed with specific attention to hygiene and cleanliness: in addition to having an open kitchen (so customers can see what all the cooks are doing), bathrooms are totally touch-less, including the toilet paper.
 
The menu is a selection of appetizers (like falafel, hummus, and grape leaves), salads, pitas, and larger plates (like kabobs and ghallaba). They are open Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and closed on Sundays.
 
Source: Adam Maheawiyan, owner of La Palma
Writer: Nicole Rupersburg

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Alley Wine sounded like such a lovely idea: open up a wine bar in an alley in a converted garage with doors that open to the alley and a backyard that can be used for outdoor seating and recreation. The idea sparked a lot of interest, securing it as a semi-finalist in the first-ever Hatch Detroit contest in 2011.
 
There was just one problem: the proposed building was zoned as residential property. Before any kind of planning in earnest could move forward, the building had to be re-zoned for commercial use (and as a liquor establishment at that, which is not without its own complications).
 
For the past 20 months, partners David Knapp and Lynne Savino have been working on getting this Midtown property at 655 W. Alexandrine re-zoned for commercial use by the city. "I knew we had a major roadblock with zoning issues," says Knapp, who works as an architect and is familiar with zoning restrictions.
 
They started with the Board of Zoning Appeals, which took several hearings over six months to ultimately have their request rejected. From there they went to the City Planning Commission, this time with the help and support of Midtown Inc.'s Sue Mosey. The Alley Wine concept happens to be in keeping with her master vision for more mixed-use development in Midtown, which also includes more non-motorized transit development (Alley Wine will be accessible only by foot or bike). "We were kind of a pilot case for the rezoning," says Knapp.
 
"Mosey and (Midtown Economic Development Manager) Karen Gage really spearheaded on our behalf to work with the City Planning Commission staff," says Knapp. They conducted informal hearings to garner public support and drew up the official language to push the request forward. The request was first approved by the commission, then by City Council, then by Mayor Dave Bing.
 
While Alley Wine is still a way off from opening -- they still need to secure tax credits and building permits and apply for financing and a liquor license, none of which could be started before the rezoning was finalized -- Knapp hopes for a fall opening.
 
Source: David Knapp, co-owner of Alley Wine
Writer: Nicole Rupersburg

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You may have seen the new vinyl banner that reads "Coming Soon!" with the Bagger Dave's logo that was hung over the weekend at 1224 Randolph Street next to the recently-opened Buffalo Wild Wings in Greektown. While the restaurant is still a long way out from opening, Southfield-based Diversified Restaurant Holdings, Inc. is moving forward with plans to open this as a Bagger Dave's despite some unforeseen setbacks.
 
After the lengthy Buffalo Wild Wings renovation that soared into the millions ($3.5 million for the renovation work alone; $5 million when factoring in other opening costs like purchasing equipment), Diversified is now focused on Bagger Dave's. This will be the first Bagger Dave's in Detroit and the fifth in metro Detroit. There are 12 locations total in Michigan and Indiana, and seven are planned to open this year.
 
Because of the old infrastructure on this block, construction has been delayed as they have been working with DTE to bring electrical power over to the building. Michael Ansley, president and CEO of Diversified Restaurant Holdings, Inc., hopes construction will start this summer and be completed in October.
 
The short, narrow building was built as a bank in the late 1800s. Only 18 feet wide, the lower floor will seat roughly 60 while the second-floor bar will seat another 70. One of the building's key features is a skylight that extends the length of the building on the second floor that the bar will sit directly beneath. "It's going to be really cool," says Ansley. "We're really excited to get (this project moving forward)."
 
The building has already been completely gutted. In addition to retaining the skylight, they will also be restoring the building's limestone façade and preserving the historic front window. This renovation is expected to cost about $1 million.
 
Though it has previously been reported that Diversified might move its corporate offices to the third floor of the Buffalo Wild Wings, the company will no longer move forward with those plans.
 
Source: Michael Ansley, president and CEO of Diversified Restaurant Holdings, Inc.
Writer: Nicole Rupersburg

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Up until a couple of weeks ago, "Sky Bar" was a bit of a misnomer, what with the bar and lounge being located on the ground floor of the David Stott Building in downtown Detroit.
 
"We are in the process of a rebranding," says Marshal Simons of Impakt Digital, community manager of SkyBar & Lounge. "When the owners first opened they were new at the bar industry and wanted to get in on the ground level of Detroit" … so to speak.
 
Owner Lynn Kassotis, president of the Florida-based real estate company CID Investments (which owns the building), fell in love with the art deco architecture of the 37-story David Stott Building and was drawn to the space on the 33rd floor, but because of issues with the sprinkler system they were not able to get a liquor license and open in the upper-floor space initially. They now have a 180-day temporary approval of occupancy as they complete the final necessary repairs, and are currently open on Fridays and Saturdays offering unparalleled 300-degree views of downtown Detroit and the Detroit River.
 
Prior to opening they completely stripped the 33rd floor space down to the studs and totally restored it with a granite and marble bar, tile floors, and three private rooms including a plush library with leather chairs and an oak bookcase. One of the rooms is also designed as a cigar lounge with the proper air filtration system, though they have not yet been approved for the cigar licensing.   
 
The ground floor space, which has been the bar's home for a little over a year, is now undergoing a half-million dollar renovation and expansion which includes a new stage built in partnership with WDET. They hope to have this renovation completed in the next few weeks. There will be live music downstairs on weekends while upstairs will be more relaxed with music played over their internal speaker system. Both floors will continue to offer an upscale environment for drinks and small plates.
 
Source: Marshal Simons of Impakt Digital, community manager of SkyBar & Lounge.
Writer: Nicole Rupersburg

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From the Paris of the Midwest to the New Orleans of the North: Detroit is getting a taste of the Bayou with Beignets. 
 
After many years of travelling to the Big Easy and enjoying late-night beignets with chicory coffee at the famous Café du Monde, Michele Pearson and her partner Mark Hausner launched Beignets to bring the dense French doughnut to Detroit. "We just loved the fact that when people were together eating beignets all hours of the night, listening to zydeco, they were happy," says Pearson. "We figured with the French influence in Detroit, why doesn't Detroit have something like this?"
 
They started introducing Beignets to Detroit with a food truck currently operating Saturdays at Eastern Market and at various food truck meet-ups. "From the warm welcome we've been getting from the beignet truck, the opportunity presented itself (to open a store) in Hamtramck, where both myself and (Hausner) have roots," says Pearson, who is also an interior designer and owns the Yoga Suite in Hamtramck. "We want to do what we can to bring business to Hamtramck."
 
Beignets will be located on Joseph Campau next to the soon-to-open Flavor Restaurant. The two businesses are open to each other through their shared wall, and will also share a kitchen.
 
Beignets will serve the namesake pastry as well as chicory coffee (another New Orleans specialty) and regular coffee. The café will be open both early morning and late evening hours to capture some of the nightlife crowd. It will seat 30-40 people with free WiFi, and also has an outdoor patio out back where there will be more café seating and live music during the spring and summer.
 
Renovations are underway inside and Beignets will open by early summer. The truck will continue to operate at local events and farmers markets.
 
Source: Michele Pearson, co-owner of Beignets
Writer: Nicole Rupersburg

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The Avalon International Breads long-awaited expansion -- which has been in the works at various stages since 2008 -- is finally coming to fruition.
 
The nearly 50,000-square-foot Avalon City Ovens production bake house located in an old warehouse at 4731 Bellevue on Detroit’s East Side is celebrating its grand opening this Friday, Feb. 22 with an opening party with food, music, and tours of the facility. This event is free and open to the public.
 
This production facility will enable the popular bakery to expand its wholesale business so it can offer more products to more markets. In particular, Avalon owners will be expanding their offerings at Plum Market, which itself is expanding into Chicago, as well as at the national retailer Whole Foods, which is (as you may have heard) expanding into Midtown.
 
The expansion efforts go beyond the new wholesale production facility. Avalon International Breads will be vacating its longtime location at 422 West Willis and will open a much larger retail store with its own full bakery in-house at 441 West Canfield in Midtown. The new retail location will have 45 seats (compared to the current location's 15) and will feature an expanded list of menu offerings (including homemade soups) with extended hours and, eventually, a drive-through.
 
"Hopefully, we’ll be known as the place for breakfast in Midtown," says Ann Perrault, co-owner of Avalon. She also acknowledges the current location’s reputation as the number one place in Midtown to get a parking ticket and the overall difficulty of finding a parking space nearby, and of finding a place to sit inside once you finally park. "We’re hoping all of that will be easier (at the new location)."
 
This will enable them to also expand menu offerings at the café inside of the Henry Ford Hospital.
 
The bake house will be fully operational in March and they hope to be fully moved into the new Canfield retail location by the end of summer.
 
Source: Ann Perrault, co-owner of Avalon International Breads
Writer: Nicole Rupersburg

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Following in the footsteps of fellow 2012 Hatch Detroit finalists Detroit Vegan Soul and winner La Feria, Rock City Pies will become a brick-and-mortar reality later this year.
 
Rock City Pies owner Nikita Santches has formally signed a three-year lease for the space that was formerly home to Maria's Comida in Hamtramck. Maria’s, which closed late last year, is moving into a new facility around the corner on Caniff to focus on production of their Maria’s House Made Salsa label.
 
Because the space was previously a restaurant, Santches has very little work to do on the interior but plans on making the bathrooms more accessible and aesthetically revamping the dining room area with new floors, booths, and other updated design details. Construction will begin immediately upon floor plan approval from the city, which he and his father will do themselves.
 
Through the course of the Hatch competition Santches didn't think Rock City Pies would end up in Hamtramck. He remembers Hatch Executive Director Vittoria Katanski asking him if he would ever consider the city-within-the-city and he dismissed it quickly, but after being introduced to Jason Friedmann, Hamtramck's Director of Community and Economic Development, and learning more about the city first-hand he felt an immediate connection to it.
 
One of the most appealing aspects of Hamtramck for Santches was the cultural and ethnic diversity of the neighborhood. As a Russian immigrant himself, he felt an immediate connection to the many Eastern European immigrants who live and own businesses in Hamtramck. "That aspect of it is very appealing to me," he says. "I'm surrounded by people who grew up eating the same kind of food I ate and living the lifestyle that I lived. People around me have the same mentality and view on things."
 
He hopes to be open by this summer. He will also start wholesaling Rock City Pies to local markets once situated in the new space.
 
Source: Nikita Santches, owner of Rock City Pies
Writer: Nicole Rupersburg

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It wasn’t that long ago that Thistle Coffeehouse was flourishing on Second Ave. at Prentis. But now the space has been reborn with two brand-new businesses owned by partners Sal Sufyan and Abe Aswadi.
 
The first, La Hookah Town, officially opened in January. La Hookah Town offers an inexpensive "hangout spot" for Wayne State students with a variety of flavored tobaccos, free WiFi, free parking, a student study area, and televisions for watching sports (including pay-per-view boxing). It opens at noon daily and stays open until 2 a.m. or later.
 
While there are a number of hookah lounges in Dearborn and Dearborn Heights and a quietly growing hookah culture in Royal Oak, the city of Detroit previously had no hookah lounges of its own. Hookah lounges are increasingly popular study spots for students and social hubs for young adults under the age of 21 who can’t just go to a bar. They also appeal to the large population of Muslim students and young adults in the area who do not patronize liquor bars.
 
In addition to bringing a hookah lounge to the city, the partners are also bringing an Indian restaurant to an area that currently has none. They are opening Grace of India Restaurant next to La Hookah Town, a small restaurant that will serve authentic, affordable Indian cuisine for carry-out and delivery, specifically targeting students. They will have only three or four tables inside where people can wait for their carry-out orders.
 
Sufyan says that they noticed a need for Indian food in the area and are catering to that demand. They have hired a chef who specializes in Indian cuisine to oversee the kitchen. The interior has been totally remodeled and they hope to be open this month.
 
Source: Sal Sufyan, co-owner, La Hookah Town and Grace of India Restaurant
Writer: Nicole Rupersburg

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Greektown Casino hasn't had a proper fine dining establishment since the Alley Grille closed in 2009, and they've never had one located on the main gaming level. Enter the newly-opened Brizola.
 
Located on the main floor of the casino, Brizola was formerly the nightclub Eclipz Lounge (sidenote: we’re not sure what the thing is with the "z" either).
 
Brizola, which specializes in contemporary American cuisine with an extensive wine list, is intended to accommodate guests on the casino floor. "The casino and the food and beverage program have evolved over the years," says Food & Beverage Director Hassan Yazbek. "It called for a signature fine dining restaurant to service our guests."
 
The sleek, ultra-modern space seats 170 and also has a private dining room for up to 15. Floor-to-ceiling windows with city views are the highlight of the contemporary design. They also seek to be at the cutting edge of technology, using all interactive electronic tablet menus.
 
In addition to Brizola, there are other plans in the works to re-vamp Greektown’s dining offerings. The Market District is a new food court currently in the works. Café Mix, the first of five new concepts, is already open and offers specialty coffees and cocktails along with pastries, sandwiches, and desserts for morning, noon and late-night. The remaining concepts include  a New York-style deli, an American concept focused on classic comfort foods, and Italian and Asian-fusion concepts.
 
With Dan Gilbert hoping to acquire a 51 percent controlling interest in Greektown Casino (pending approval from the Michigan Gaming Control Board), these recent changes are probably just a glimmer of what’s to come.
 
Source: Hassan Yazbek, Director of Food & Beverage at Greektown Casino
Writer: Nicole Rupersburg

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There aren’t many new restaurants in the Midtown/Corktown/Downtown neighborhoods that open nowadays without a whole lot of fanfare, often months in advance starting from the day the concept is announced. But Maccabees at Midtown, which officially opened on Dec. 30, opened like a phantom; without any major announcements or media coverage it sprang forth into existence and started serving what the locals already seem to agree is some pretty phenomenal food.
 
Maccabees owner Petar Berishaj is not new to the restaurant game, or to Detroit. He owns the local franchise Gateway Deli, which operates dine-in and catering locations at 333 W. Fort St., another at Ford Field, and two more in Southfield and Troy.
 
"Bottom line is, I love Detroit," says Berishaj, "since I was a little kid working at Lafayette Coney Island when I was 15 years old. I want to be part of the renovation."
 
Maccabees was going to be another Gateway outpost, but Berishaj saw a much larger potential with this particular spot and the liquor license that was available.
 
Located inside of what was formerly known as the Maccabees Building, which the restaurant’s name honors, Berishaj particularly liked the location for its close proximity to all of the cultural institutions and hospitals in Midtown (and all of the hungry workers at both), as well as the building itself, which has built-in clientele with Wayne State University’s administrative offices.
 
Berishaj says the design of the space, which sat empty for some time and was only a vacant shell when construction started, echoes the colors and theme of the Maccabees Building, replicating everything down to the chandeliers (which were designed and fabricated by Speedcult).
 
Maccabees now has its liquor license and is open for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and Sunday brunch. They serve "new American cuisine," including some deli favorites.
 
Source: Petar Berishaj, owner of Maccabees at Midtown
Writer: Nicole Rupersburg

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Renovation work on a handful of apartment buildings in Palmer Park is set to wrap up in the next few months.

The first in line for completion is the Sarasota Apartments, 325 Merton, in February. The four-story building exemplifies the Art Deco architecture for which Palmer Park's apartments are famous. It had been vacant for years, falling into disrepair before renovations began last spring.

Next in line are the Seville Apartments and Palmer Lodge. Both are set to come online in April. "I really can't wait," says Kathy Makino-Leipsitz, co-owner of Shelborne Development which is heading up the development of the apartment buildings in Palmer Park.

Palmer Lodge is one of the marquee apartment buildings in the Palmer Park historic district. The jumbo-sized Tudor-Revival structure stands sentinel at the corner of Woodward Avenue and Covington Drive. The four-story apartment building was designed by Weidmaier and Gay and built in 1925. It's being redeveloped into 54 apartments and space for two businesses (think cafe or martini bar) in its basement. The Seville Apartments is at 750 Whitmore St. The four-story structure at the corner of Third Avenue and Whitmore Street will feature 16 apartments. One hundred and two units will come onto the market when construction is finished at all three, which were vacant and in serious disrepair before renovation work began early last year.

Shelborne Development is renovating these buildings and a handful of others in Palmer Park. The Indian Village-based firm leveraged historic tax credits, federal stimulus funding and other government incentives to renovate these buildings to maintain their historic integrity and upgrade them with modern conveniences such as new Energy Star appliances, high-efficiency furnaces, insulation and granite countertops. It previously renovated the La Vogue apartments last summer.

Makino-Leipsitz says she is still pursuing the idea of bringing mounted security patrols to the neighborhood by utilizing the Detroit Police Department's mounted division, which is housed nearby. She also wants to bring Christmas lights to the trees of the neighborhood to help inject some vibrancy to the area.

"I want to light up the trees in Palmer Park like they do at La Dolce Vita (a nearby restaurant)," Makino-Leipsitz says. "It gives the area such a great feel."

Source: Kathy Makino-Leipsitz, co-owner of Shelborne Development
Writer: Jon Zemke

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Detroit’s most famous restaurant is currently going through a much-needed expansion.
 
Slows BAR BQ, which has been covered in national media from the New York Times to Food & Wine and was a 2012 finalist in Adam Richman’s Best Sandwich in America on the Travel Channel, is largely credited with kick-starting the rebirth of Corktown, attracting several new independent businesses on its block of Michigan Avenue and leading to what is now a total lack of available rental units according to Ryan Cooley, co-owner of Slows and owner of O’Connor Realty.
 
The original Slows space, which seats about 80 indoors (not including the seasonal outdoor patio), was ill-equipped to handle large parties, and long wait times inside the enormously popular restaurant inevitably led to a lot of bottle-necking at the front door by the bar.
 
"We're adding on the new space but it will serve as more a beer bar, private dining room and waiting area," Cooley says. "With bigger parties this is really going to help with efficiencies."
 
The new 1,200-square-foot space, which is overtaking the former office of O’Connor Realty (which has since relocated down the block), will be connected by a door to the original location but will in effect be its own separate space ideal for private parties and grabbing a drink while waiting for a table.
 
The new bar will feature 36 tap handles, many of which will be duplicate selections from the bar in the main restaurant for efficiency’s sake. The beer cooler will be expanding and moved into the basement, freeing up additional space upstairs.
 
Behind the scenes, the kitchen will also be expanding into the new space and will be fully updated. "We opened on such a shoestring budget the first time through we had to buy used equipment. This will allow things to be more streamlined," Cooley says.
 
This is good news for serious barbecue enthusiasts, as this will enable Slows to slow down their smoke times and make a good product even better. Chef and co-owner Brian Perrone will also be able to host more beer dinners and run additional specials, allowing him more creativity in the kitchen.
 
Cooley says that by the time the kitchen is expanded and bathrooms added, the new space will add about 20 new seats. "We didn’t want to add to ton of space, really. We didn’t want a huge open-feeling space. We kind of wanted to keep it small and intimate."
 
At press time the main restaurant is on track to re-open on their target date of Jan. 9, while the new space may be delayed just a day or two.
 
Source: Ryan Cooley, co-owner of Slows
Writer: Nicole Rupersburg