Detroit may get its first Applebee's

[Cleveland Brown]

Originally Posted by Detroit Free Press

Detroit may get its first Applebee's
By JC Reindl, Detroit Free Press 9:41 p.m. EST February 23, 2015

In the latest sign of economic rebound, Detroit could soon be getting its first Applebee's restaurant.

The proposed Applebee's would be built at the corner of 8 Mile and Woodward in the new Gateway Marketplace shopping center that is anchored by a Meijer superstore.

http://www.freep.com/story/money/bus...roit/23880925/

PAGING CHICAGO103!

[Avian001]

That's a rebound?

[animatedmartian]

I mean, the arrival of Applebee's itself isn't really all that special, however, it's another restaurant following a trend of stores opening within Detroit for the first time in a long time if ever. Even when the economy was good like in the 90s and 2000s, retailers were avoiding Detroit like the plague. If these retailers are willing to open up Detroit locations now, then something is clearly changing for the better that wasn't happening 10, 15, or even 20 years ago.

[Rizzo]

This a convenient topic for me to make a request that if there's any Detroit residents out there, it would be great for you to join and contribute to the forum. There's a lot of stuff going on that we don't hear about. I mean Applebee's moving in is good news for Detroit, but last I visited there was a ton of great new eateries that opened and none of that news or information made it here. You can get good info from curbed, but I'd like to hear some orginal knowledge from some actual residents as to what's going on instead of headliners of chains opening literally right on the suburban border.

[bnk]

[Chicago103]

Originally Posted by Cleveland Brown

http://www.freep.com/story/money/bus...roit/23880925/

PAGING CHICAGO103!

I actually am happy for Detroit that this is happening, the city is at the point where Little Caesar's is given the award for having the best Detroit style pizza (i.e. their deep dish pizza) and Applebee's is probably a pretty good dining option all things considered, especially outside of downtown where neighborhood life is virtually dead.

[mind field]

Thanks for embarrassing Detroit by posting this. Not even sure why this is a newsworthy topic.

[animatedmartian]

Originally Posted by mind field

Thanks for embarrassing Detroit by posting this. Not even sure why this is a newsworthy topic.

It's newsworthy because 8 Mile has been a historical political divide between Detroit and its suburbs and anyone whose lived in the region long enough knows that if something has a Detroit address it has an entirely different prerogative than if it didn't?

I mean, yea it's mostly newsworthy to locals and everyone from outside of the region wouldn't understand, but it pretty much boils down to a city vs suburb thing.

[DecoJim]

Originally Posted by Hayward

This a convenient topic for me to make a request that if there's any Detroit residents out there, it would be great for you to join and contribute to the forum. There's a lot of stuff going on that we don't hear about. I mean Applebee's moving in is good news for Detroit, but last I visited there was a ton of great new eateries that opened and none of that news or information made it here. You can get good info from curbed, but I'd like to hear some orginal knowledge from some actual residents as to what's going on instead of headliners of chains opening literally right on the suburban border.

Applebee's = yawn! Foods not bad but...

I am much more excited about the new Republic Restaurant that just opened in the old G.A.R. Building. I would like to try it out soon; when I do, I will let you know if its good.

As far as the embarrassing Detroit, it is kind of pathetic when you think about it but since few national chains of any kind have opened stores in Detroit in a while, I suppose the rarity of it does make it news.

[bnk]

I celebrated when one closed down close to me. A healthy NW suburban Chicago area, it just died. Too many other, better options out there. I have seen TGIF's go down too for the same reason. I never understood how they lasted as long as they did in my area.

[mind field]

Originally Posted by DecoJim

Applebee's = yawn! Foods not bad but...

I am much more excited about the new Republic Restaurant that just opened in the old G.A.R. Building. I would like to try it out soon; when I do, I will let you know if its good.

As far as the embarrassing Detroit, it is kind of pathetic when you think about it but since few national chains of any kind have opened stores in Detroit in a while, I suppose the rarity of it does make it news.

Yes! Republic is getting very good reviews from the few yelpers who've been there. I'm excited to see the restoration of the magnificent G.A.R. Building up close and personal!

[mind field]

Originally Posted by animatedmartian

It's newsworthy because 8 Mile has been a historical political divide between Detroit and its suburbs and anyone whose lived in the region long enough knows that if something has a Detroit address it has an entirely different prerogative than if it didn't?

I mean, yea it's mostly newsworthy to locals and everyone from outside of the region wouldn't understand, but it pretty much boils down to a city vs suburb thing.

Yes, i'm well aware of the symbolic divide that 8 mile rd. is. And i'm as big of a Detroit booster as anyone out there. I'm happy for development and more importantly jobs for the city. I've shopped at the Meijer store at the shops at Gateway, which is where this Applebees will be and i'm glad the development is in the city, contributing taxes into city coffers and providing much needed services and jobs.

However IMO, it highlights just how far Detroit has fallen, and how far it has to go to reach parity with some of our peers.

[Cleveland Brown]

Originally Posted by Chicago103

I actually am happy for Detroit that this is happening, the city is at the point where Little Caesar's is given the award for having the best Detroit style pizza (i.e. their deep dish pizza) and Applebee's is probably a pretty good dining option all things considered, especially outside of downtown where neighborhood life is virtually dead.

You saying something nice about the opening of an Applebee's? I'm shocked, frankly, shocked!

[Cleveland Brown]

Originally Posted by mind field

Thanks for embarrassing Detroit by posting this. Not even sure why this is a newsworthy topic.

I embarrassed Detroit? Sorry to sully Detroit's international reputation as a middle-class utopia populated by excellent housing, retail, and restaurants.

I'm pretty sure every city newspaper writes gushing reviews about things opening up in forgotten/forlorn areas. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised to see a similar review in the New York Times or another area newspaper when Olive Garden moved into the formerly forlorn Times Square.

You should be glad that the article doesn't claim that the mayor spent months trying to lure Applebee's or that he offered tax incentives. That something opened, sua sponte, on a greenfield site, without incentives is something to be proud of when it hasn't been that long since Chene House, one of Detroit's few federal style buildings, was demolished to build an IHOP.

[the urban politician]

Applebee's is such crap

[Symz]

This isn't about your feelings towards Applebee's, or the scale of the development being small (yes an Applebee's), it's the symbolism behind what's happening here.

[vid]

Yeah but it's on the edge of Detroit proper, so does it really count?

[animatedmartian]

Originally Posted by vid

Yeah but it's on the edge of Detroit proper, so does it really count?

Detroit's downtown is on the edge of its proper city limits. Even when not considering Canada, it's less than 7 miles east or west to the city limits yet 15 miles to the other side. You could pretty much say there are suburban areas closer to downtown Detroit than some neighborhoods within Detroit are.

However, the fact is that there's a social stigma regarding any location within Detroit proper regardless of where the city boundary falls. It's not the location that's important, it's the address associated with it.

[subterranean]

There are many good or great restaurants that have opened recently. Craftwork, Seldon Standard, Antietam, Republic, Wright & Co, Punch Bowl Social, Gold Cash Gold, Brooklyn Street Local, Hopcat, Go! Sy Thai, and many more on the way. Jolly Pumpkin (Ann Arbor) is opening a Detroit location. Even not-so-great chains are opening, like Buffalo Wild Wings.

I've been to most of these and I have to say Detroit has really stepped up its game in the last couple of years. Lots of great eats. I'm probably missing many I've yet to hear of, but word of mouth spreads quickly.

Then you've got older local favorites like Mercury Bar, Green Dot Stables, Slow's BBQ, Slow's to Go, Buddy's Pizza, Cadieux Cafe, St. CeCe's, Russell Street Deli, Roast, Lafayette Coney Island, Mexicantown, many more I cannot even begin to name.

[Centropolis]

mmm buddys pizza, been there.