In terms of Detroit neighborhoods, Midtown has been one of the brighter spots in redevelopment. However, its coffee shops have not yet come close to rivaling Corktown’s Astro, which was a bit of a game-changer when it opened last summerwith decor as good as the product (other city shops tend to lack the design chops). Well here now, Midtown will have its sumptuously-designed gathering space thanks to Great Lakes Coffee, the roaster based in the Bloomfield Hills. Oh and by the way, it’s a wine bar too, which means we’ll likely be there from dawn til dark as soon as it opens.
Great Lake’s first full-fledged shop is on a prominent corner of Woodward, includes an outdoor seating patio, and should be open by the end of June (stay tuned!) Putting aside our excitement for caffeine, we can honestly say the design is a much needed jolt to Detroit’s commercial space offerings. Architects from D MET Designworked on the space along with James Willer, a carpenter from the WARM Training Center. It’s hard to pick the real building highlight (hello gorgeous natural light from huge windows) but we’re all about the wood in this one. The team reclaimed wood from two houses—one in Hamtramck and one in Detroit—for most of the elements pictured including the bar top from old pine framing. It manages to feel rustic without a gimmicky nod towards a log cabin theme. Basically, like most good modern design, the materials seduce you. James Cadariu, the roast master for Great Lakes and a partner in the coffee shop/bar and received the Certificate of Operation just this week.
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