Former Antihero Location Soon to be Tigerlilly, Featuring Asian Fare and Tiki Bar
Ferndale, MI -Interior renovations are underway at 231 W. Nine Mile Road in downtown Ferndale where Hometown Restaurant Group is planning the launch of Tigerlily, an Asian-inspired restaurant and sushi bar in the former Antihero location.
Currently in its build-out phase, the new Tigerlily concept will focus on sushi and Asian cuisine inside a fully-redesigned, 4,000-square-foot dining area that includes a full sushi bar; a private-showcase dining table and room; and a separate, 900-square-foot tiki bar dubbed Mai Tiki. Located in former office space at the building, Mai Tiki will be accessible through Tigerlily.
Design work is being done by sought-after Birmingham architects Ron & Roman, with the restaurant and tiki bar on track for a grand opening this summer. The exterior facade has been taken down to its original, historic frontage, with signage to come. Over $1 million has been put into renovating the spaces, which will have seating for 170 at Tigerlily and 44 at Mai Tiki. Hours will be seven days a week at Tigerlily, opening at 4 p.m. on weekdays, with Mai Tiki accessible by guests only through Tigerlily in a speakeasy fashion. The tiki bar will prepare fresh juices and craft cocktails, open four or five days each week.
Initially opened in 2018 as a Japanese-American izakaya-style restaurant that featured sake cocktails and ramen dishes, Antihero was purchased in 2021 by Hometown Restaurant Group. The Ferndale-based restaurant group also owns and operates Public House, One-Eyed Betty’s, Pop’s For Italian, and the former Rosie O’ Grady’s, all in downtown Ferndale.
Inspired by both Asian influences and the city of Ferndale’s unique color and tradition, Tigerlily gives a nod to the flower that once grew wild in present-day Ferndale — the tiger lily. Indigenous to areas of Asia, a variant of the ornamental flower is native to Ferndale, where fields of tiger lilies and ferns decorated the landscape through the 1920s. Today, tiger lilies remain cherished in the community, with many neighbors sharing and splitting their lilies with each other, keeping the natural beauty alive. Considered a symbol of pride and positivity, Tigerlily is fitting both for Ferndale and its residents, as well a budding restaurant that plans to be a standout in Ferndale’s bouquet of restaurants.
Learn more about Hometown Restaurant Group at https://dinehometown.com.