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ScottWrightadTOPNew Concept Coming to essentialFerndale: Pops for Italian and Alley Dogs
(Crystal A. Proxmire, May 26, 2015)
If all goes as planned, Ferndale will have a two-part restaurant opening in the fall on W. 9 Mile near Allen, in the former locations of Buffalo Wild Wings and Twisted Shamrock. Brian Kramer, who currently owns Rosie O’Grady’s and One-Eyed Bettys along with restaurants in other cities, appeared before City Council on Tuesday to request a liquor license transfer for the new facility.
The plan is Pop’s for Italian Restaurant in the front, and Alley Dogs in the back.
twist_club01Pop’s will feature authentic Italian-style pasta dishes and California-style pizza, in a traditional restaurant environment. While there will be alcohol sold, the emphasis is on a family-friendly dining experience.
The back half of the restaurant will be Alley Dogs, a 24-hour coney joint with 94 seats plus patio seating in warm weather. Alley Dogs will not serve alcohol, but patrons will be welcome to purchase drinks in Pop’s to take into Alley Dogs to enjoy with their meals.
Kramer is excited to bring the real Italian eatery to Ferndale. “My Nana lived with us and she was from Italy,” Kramer said. “We’d grow our own vegetables… We’d make our own bread… Meals were planned days in advance.”
Kramer and his team recently went to California to fine tune their pizza-making skills, training under experienced pizza chefs. “This is like nothing that you can get in Ferndale, or in dinos02sidelogo3Michigan,” he said. Unlike his other properties, Pop’s will not be focused on the bar part of the business. “There is no DJ booth. This is a restaurant, focusing on the family,” he said. The application includes the ability to move seating to have a dance floor, but Kramer said that is for special events like weddings.
His vision for Alley Dogs is to give customers a place to go and grab a bite at night after the bars close, as well as a place for affordable, family-friendly meals in the daytime.
“Parking is in back, so I wanted to make the back of the building look like a main entrance,” Kramer said. Rather than have separate entrances, the building will have a shared entrance way that will resemble a Brooklyn alley, with brick facade and graffiti art. Patrons can enter both places from the front or the back. Inside, Pop’s will have living walls with plants and an imported olive tree. Outside there will be increased green-scaping, with ivy growing on the front of Pop’s.
modern natural baby inprogressIn combining both facilities, the seating will remain similar to that of the former Buffalo Wild Wings, because Kramer expanded the kitchen and added the shared entryway. Council approved the recommendation to transfer the license, and construction is expected to be completed in 90-120 days.
There was discussion among City Council members about taking away one retail space for more of a restaurant. Councilperson Melanie Piana quoted a fellow urban planner in saying “You don’t want your downtown to turn into a food court.” She also raised concerns over the noise of a 24 hour establishment. However, the plans are in line with local ordinances.
Apart from the questions raised, Piana welcomed Kramer’s efforts, saying “Brian is a committed business owner who I very successful and works with us when we have issues.”Sahara ad with wine
Mayor Dave Coulter also addressed the loss of a retail space, stating “We’re losing a retail spot… but we need to work with our friends in the DDA [Downtown Development Authority] to work on a plan to increase retail in our Central Business District.”
Addressing the concern of residents and businesses who fear a saturation of dining establishments, Mayor Pro Tem Dan Martin suggested approving the liquor license transfer because Pop’s “is not an intensification of use in my opinion.”
Council briefly discussed how they might be able to assist in creating a more retail-friendly environment downtown, and the idea of a moratorium was discussed. Kramer, who also owns restaurants in Royal Oak, said that a moratorium helped there because it kept rent prices lower.
Those discussions will be ongoing, particularly with changes in leadership as DDA Executive Director Cristina Sheppard Decius is in her final days at the helm of the organization that is tasked with promoting Downtown Ferndale and supporting business owners there.
Other restaurants coming soon include Green Space Cafe and Detroit Bubble Tea.
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