After a long (yet worthwhile) wait,
Detroit Institute of Bagels is finally open in Corktown, putting an end to Detroit's days as a bagel desert and bringing with it some much-needed breakfast bagel sandwiches, bagels and lox, and free Wi-Fi in a beautifully designed historic building on Michigan Avenue.
DIB started nearly three years ago in owner Ben Newman's flat in Corktown. Since then the company has gained a loyal following, which helped them raise $10,000 in a Kickstarter campaign and saw them through as semifinalists in the first-ever Hatch Detroit competition in 2011. While DIB didn't win the $50,000 then, the company was just officially awarded a $50,000 grant last week from the Old Tiger Stadium Conservancy Fund, a $3.8 million fund allocated to businesses that are contributing to the redevelopment and revitalization of Corktown.
Two James Spirits also received a grant with several more are in the works. Senator Carl Levin was on site last week to award the grant.
All together it cost about $500,000 to renovate the century-old building at 1236 Michigan Avenue, extend it out for the kitchen, and create a pocket park out front in the "L" shape formed by the new addition. DIB was designed almost entirely from reclaimed materials, including the commercial kitchen equipment. The bagel shop employs a staff of 25 and is open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. serving seven standard bagel flavors with house-made cream cheeses and spreads daily, additional "small batch" flavors daily, homemade soups, coffee from Corktown roasters
Anthology Coffee, and a variety of bagel sandwiches for breakfast and lunch.
Source: Ben Newman, owner of Detroit Institute of Bagels
Writer: Nicole Rupersburg
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