4 Black-owned culinary pop-ups gear up for NFL draft in a former food hall space
A new food hall concept touting a huge bar and daytime and evening entertainment is scheduled to open in time for the NFL draft in a space that once housed the same concept.
Called Recess Detroit, the food hall will open on Wednesday showcasing four, Black-owned culinary concepts from local owners.
A thrust of the project is “championing culture, cuisine, and community engagement,” according to a news release.
The visionaries behind Recess Detroit are Kai Bowman and Roddy Allen. Bowman serves as chief operating officer of the Metro Black Business Alliance (MBBA). Recess Detroit is Bowman’s first foray into the hospitality business.
“Recess will be a destination that is inclusive and welcoming of all who know, love, and consume the City of Detroit,” said Bowman and Allen in a news release.
The idea behind Recess, Bowman said, is to bring “four restaurants to the downtown area and create a space where folks can feel the vibe of good music and good food.”
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Its name, “Recess,” has a double meaning, Bowman said: “Recess, the whole idea is, as a child you come out and play but also recess because we are across the street from the court (US Federal Courthouse.)"
Allen, whose background is in real estate, is president and CEO of Hot Rod's Wing Ding's Inc., one of the concepts. In 2022, Allen opened the Wing Dings joint on Seven Mile in Detroit.
“The vibrancy will be the difference between our food hall and the food hall here before which I don't remember it having music,” Allen said. “The fun, the vibe, the effect of it when you get off work or on your lunch break or just the weekends, it's recess.”
At Recess Detroit, Hot Rod’s menu includes wing dings, boneless wings, and a vegetarian offering of deep-fried cauliflower. All are offered with a sauce or with a dry rub. There’s mac and cheese bites and fries.
Allen also added that having four businesses doesn't mean it's a “competition thing.”
“It’s a together thing. You’re not coming to this place and only getting one thing to eat. You have several options," he said.
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Another concept is Pequeño Cantina from Frank Blackman. The Mexican eatery, with a location in Detroit’s historic Avenue of Fashion, will feature a variety of street tacos to quesadillas, nachos, chips salsa and street corn options. Jerk @ Nite is a fusion of Mexican, Jamaican, and American soul food also joining. The concept started in 2012 on the Howard University campus in Washington, D.C. Local restaurant owners Ron Bartell Jr. and Frank Blackman are the Jerk @ Nite franchisees. Jerk @ Nite, according to its website, touts its menu offerings as affordable, healthy, and preservative-free. Its menu at Recess Detroit includes jerk chicken, tacos featuring chicken or oxtail, and nachos.
Savannah’s Smokehouse from chefs Davante Burnley and Dominic “Dom” McCord is also popping up for the NFL draft at Detroit Recess. The concept will feature Southern-style smoked meats, such as beef brisket, salmon, and wings. Chef Burnley most recently competed on and won an episode of “Chopped,” which aired on the Food Network in January.
Bowman said the 40-foot bar offering a wide array of signature cocktails and TVs all-around will have seating for about 44, including several bistro tables along the Shelby Street side of the more than 7,000 square foot space. The bar will feature a wide array of signature cocktails.
“We expect this bar to have zero vacancy over the next four days,” Bowman said.
The bar, Bowman said, will feature top talent from a local bartending perspective, including Central Kitchen + Bar’s Angie Perez and Chelsea Bourne, who’s been a part of local spot, Petty Cash and Empire.
Recess will be open during the draft and will have a rotating list of well-known Detroit DJs such as Secret Garden during the day and evening.
After the NFL Draft, Bowman said plans are to talk with Bedrock, which owns the building, regarding the space to continue doing pop-ups.
The location at 160 W. Fort Street was the home of the former Fort Street Galley, a short-lived food hall concept that lasted just 14 months.
For the draft, Recess will operate noon-2 a.m. Wednesday-Saturday.
Contact Detroit Free Press food and restaurant writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news and tips to: sselasky@freepress.com. Follow @SusanMariecooks on Twitter. Subscribe to the Free Press.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 4 Black-owned culinary pop-ups gear up downtown for NFL Draft
