Detroit’s They Say Restaurant – best known for its They Say Wings and Ribs, comfortable vibe, beautiful brick interior, and great entertainment – added a second location in Harper Woods.
Located at 17810 Vernier Road at Kelly, They Say Harper Woods, held its grand opening on May 1.
Longtime Detroit businessman Terry Payne, Sr., founded the original They Say on Joseph Campau and Jefferson in 2006 in Detroit. The popular restaurant celebrated its 13th Anniversary in February. Payne has had extraordinary success with his original jazz-themed first restaurant—They Say Detroit took home the title of “Best Restaurant” at the Michigan Chronicle’s Best in Black awards in 2018 and earned accolades from the Metro Times for its They Say Wings the year before.
Now, he’s counting on lightning striking twice. The location of Payne’s new restaurant sits at the site of what was once an Applebee’s near Eastland mall. Eastland was once a bustling shopping mall that has seen several of its flagship stores close over the past few years. There have been rumors that the mall was closing but those rumors have been just that. The area is ripe with opportunity and folks are excited to have a downtown favorite in their community.
“I’m really excited to be bringing live jazz to the Eastside,” Payne said. “There’s just not enough of it over here. “People have been asking for months ‘When are you going to be open?. It’s nice to have that kind of intense interest even before we opened our doors.”
The restaurant is large with an open floor plan, covering more than 5,500 square feet and able to seat 200 diners. The kitchen alone is about 1,300 square feet, which should provide diners faster, more efficient service.
Food, of course, has been the heart of Payne’s success at the original location. He’ll continue serving up some of the They Say standards – They Say Wings, Turkey Chops, Ribs, Salmon Croquettes – but some new notes will be added to the repertoire.
Chef Gerald Gregory, who has been head chef at They Say since its inception, will be at the helm in Harper Woods. He has produced some new dishes including baked Mostaccioli, beef short ribs, a seafood trio that includes corkscrew shrimp, calamari fries and clam strips, an Italian submarine sandwich, a “They Say Philly” sandwich and a Reuben, among other fare. All of the new items will also be available at the Detroit location.
“People crave great food, good people, a nice atmosphere and they love live music – we plan to serve up all of that here at the second They Say,” said Payne. “I invite everyone to come by and enjoy the vibe.”
The stage is set for live music in Harper Woods. Each week there will be live jazz on Thursdays and Fridays from 5-8 p.m. with a $5 cover.
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