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.
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.
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.
The Prince of Brightmoor, Norris Howard, is in as we talk about the latest impacting Metro Detroit and Michigan.
Plus, we field a flock of Canadian feedback on our Monday show and get into limits
A bakery that doesn't exist in Ferndale, Lafayette coney returns, it's the end of the line for Bobcat Bonnie's in Corktown, A historic district for the rencen gets denied, and more! Today with Shianne Nocerini.
Only one Detroit City Council member — Angela Whitfield-Calloway who introduced it — supported a resolution to make the RenCen a historic district, subject to additional restrictions that would have helped preserve all of the towers.
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan sent the following statement:
Designating the Renaissance Center as historic office buildings would have killed any realistic hope of redevelopment and pretty much guaranteed Detroit would have five empty towers sitting on the riverfront for the next 30-40 years.
Thanks to Detroit City Council’s strong stance today, the Mayor’s Office and Council can now move forward to explore all alternatives and develop the best solution for our city’s future.
The current proposed plan by General Motors and Bedrock is to demolish two of the towers, rehab one as more modern offices, another as residential, and improve hotel amenities.
On today's episode, Fletcher Sharpe shares his five reasons you should really start watching the Detroit Pistons.
Plus, we talk about our sold-out event at Tocororo, voting for us for best podcast in Hour Detroit
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.
We're on the eve of expected 25% tariffs against Canada and Mexico going into effect. Michigan and Metro Detroit's economies are deeply tied to international trade — whether it's the automotive and manufacturing sectors or our
Devon O'Reilly joins in to round up some of the interesting stories and places around town.
Timestamps:
00:21 - Introductions, mentioning that Fat Tuesday is approaching and our favorite flavors of Paczki
03:
12 Things To Know Around Metro Detroit
One of the most impactful stories long-term on Detroit isn't in the core of downtown, but up by the New Center and TechTown.
The Henry Ford Health + Michigan State University Health Sciences Research Center is will be a seven-story, $335 million building that will be home to various medical research teams devoted to cancer, neuroscience, cardiometabolic diseases, and immunology — as well as the Nick Gilbert Neurofibromatosis Research Institute.
I saw that major visible progress is being made and wanted to share a little update.
You can find it on Third Street, south of the boulevard and across from the Pistons Performance Center.
Part of the wider $3 billion Henry Ford and MSU partnership, this should be ready in 2027.
The Prince of Brightmoor Norris Howard is in, and we discuss a recent push to turn the RenCen into a historic district to save all of the towers. Is that the best way forward?
Plus,
The Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) board voted Wednesday to increase water service charges by 5.9% and wastewater charges by 4.5%.
But what you pay at home may be more.
The GLWA provides service to many local communities who then set their own rates, adding a markup to cover local costs.
In a release sent after the meeting, the GLWA says that the price of chemicals, utilities and construction materials has risen nearly 55% since 2020.
There's also a new multi-year flood mitigation study in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, where the Corps and GLWA split the $6 million cost 50/50.
GLWA's 2026 budget is $954 million, up $48 million from the year before.
Public comment lasted three hours, with residents and local leaders like former state rep. Cynthia A. Johnson and Utica mayor Gus Calandrino in opposition.
The rate increases take effect July 1, after an annual 4% rate increase cap expires.
The spot I visited Tuesday was Brush Park Apartments.
It's a $19-million development with 53 affordable units and 3,800 square feet of commercial space at 269 Winder in Detroit.
The second is in Midtown. It's named MLK on 2nd, at 3515 Second Avenue.
That $11.5-million project has 33 units and also features ground-floor commercial space.
Out of the combined 86 units across both developments, 63 will be deeply affordable for those earning 60 percent area median income (AMI) or below, with the remainder being available for households earning 80 percent AMI or below.
The projects, funded through various partnerships including CVS Health, Fifth Third Bank, and government programs, aim to make sure Detroiters can afford to live in desirable neighborhoods.
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said that more than $1 billion of affordable housing has been built in the last five years.
On today's episode I talked with Sam Cerwin, co-founder of BeReworn, about the importance of community and sustainability.
We discuss the ways her platform connects people to swap clothing and other goods, how that
A litte Townie Talk with Fletcher Sharpe...
Topic timestamps:
02:10 Fletcher appears on One Detroit and talks about the hug that broke barriers in baseball
04:28 - Seva is closing. We
A simple hug helped break down the color barrier in baseball, and the story has a big local angle.
One Detroit did a segment about Steve Gromek of Hamtramck, and Larry Doby, the second African American in the MLB, and how their moment together sent shockwaves through not only Detroit — but much of the country.
Our podcast co-host Fletcher Sharpe was part of the piece, too. Have a watch.
I spotted that the retail space at 1425 Woodward in downtown Detroit is getting a new chapter.
Free People is an Urban Outfitters brand, focusing on bohemian fashion for women. There is a store in the Somerset Collection in Troy.
What is Free People? From their website:
Free People, a specialty lifestyle brand, serves as the destination for those who embrace creativity, inclusivity, and individuality. In support of their growing global community, Free People crafts and curates an expansive collection of apparel, accessories, shoes, swim, vintage and small business goods, and beauty – all in the name of Creative Spirit.
I don't have an opening date for you yet.
What does it take to become a cheesemonger? What are some of the best cheeses right now? Where can you try some of this stuff?
Zach Berg from Mongers' Provisions stopped by to talk about
I saw visual progress is being made on the former United Savings Bank in Detroit's Capitol Park.
It's undergoing significant remodeling to an art deco-inspired design, and the addition of four new floors. Two stories will be for commercial space, and the rest will have 25 residential units.
Designed by Albert Kahn and opened in 1921, the building's facade was ruined by a "facelift" in the 70s that removed most of the windows.
The developers of 1133 Griswold Street are the Detroit-based RKP Group.
How the building looked in the 1920s, vs. just before renovation, then the rendering for the future.
On this Friday edition of Daily Detroit, hosts Devon and Jer kick things off with a victory lap for Devon, who accurately predicted the opening of an Apple Store in Detroit nearly three years ago.
The 54-inch wide pipe arrived in Southwest Detroit Thursday to replace a section that failed earlier this week, causing massive flooding that drove many out of their homes.
The GLWA says that it’ll be at least two weeks until water service is restored.
ICYMI, we talked about the details of the flood on our Daily Detroit podcast earlier this week.