Announcement - Alma Kitchen decides not to move forward in historic Kresge Building
For Immediate Release
June 16, 2020
Detroit, MI Opening a new restaurant can be challenging, and opening a restaurant during a pandemic is an even greater challenge. We’re saddened that recently the owners of the Alma Kitchen restaurant have decided not to proceed with opening their planned restaurant in the iconic Kresge Building, located in the historic Jefferson-Chalmers commercial corridor. Construction was halted for a 3 month period in order to comply with the State of Michigan shut down order issued due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Alma Kitchen owner, Gary Mui, was hoping to open an Asian-Mexican fusion restaurant in this up and coming neighborhood, but COVID-19’s impact on his business model created many concerns. Though we are saddened by the loss of this innovative concept in our commercial corridor, East Jefferson Development Corporation (EJDevCo) is working towards ensuring that its commitment to inclusive neighborhood development is maintained and that we can identify a tenant that meets the community’s vision.
EJDevCo is currently looking for a restaurant tenant to fill the vacancy at 14300 E Jefferson Ave. This 2,509 square foot space is located at the corner of East Jefferson Ave. and Lakewood and has a 1,500 SF outdoor dining patio. The rear 3,500 square feet of the building will be the new location of JEI’s neighborhood resource center which will serve residents from around the city of Detroit.
In sticking with our Inclusive Neighborhood Development Principles, EJDevCo would like to hear from the community of potential restaurateurs that would be a good fit for the neighborhood. The ideal tenant would be a restaurant owner committed to local hiring, paying higher wages, and accessible menu pricing. EJDevCo, through its parent company Jefferson East, Inc. (JEI) can also work with new entrepreneurs to put together a business plan and determine if opening a restaurant is feasible for a small business tenant. This would be a great opportunity for the person who has been successfully catering out of their home to try their hand at a brick-and-mortar restaurant business.
The Kresge Building is near completion and ready for a tenant to occupy and co-create in a neighborhood poised for growth by the end of the summer 2020. For more information about leasing and/or small business support, please contact Amanda Hardy, Real Estate Coordinator, at (313) 261-2955 or ahardy@jeffersoneast.org.
Visit www.JeffersonEast.org/ejdevco to learn more about East Jefferson Development Corp.
For leasing information please see the attached document. 14300 Marketing FULL.pdf
