Sugar House and Wright & Co. Entrepreneurs Take Over MOCAD Cafe in Midtown

Dave Kwiatkowski and Marc Djozlija of The Sugar House and Wright & Company have a new bar on the way. Located in the Midtown space formerly occupied by Topsoil in the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCAD), Café 78 will debut in early 2015.

Bartenders from The Sugar House have been working MOCAD events for nearly four years, Kwiatkowski says, so when they museum approached him about running service there full-time, it was a natural fit. "I said, 'Yes we'll be a part of this, but we want to really build a bar in there,'" he says. "We're trying to give it its own identity."

Café 78 is located in a former auto dealership at 4454 Woodward Avenue. Its name recalls the dealers' Rule of 78s to calculate interest. Designed by Daniel Moskop of Raleigh, North Carolina's Dan Huffman Architecture, the 4,800-square-foot space will allow seating for 179 people and feature a 14-foot bar, as well as tables. A garage door, already installed along Garfield Street will allow for an open-air feel in the spring.

Kwiakowski says the café will remain open beyond MOCAD's regular hours, with service Tuesday through Sunday. The café will open around 8 a.m. with Anthology coffee and pastries brought in from Wright & Company and Zingerman's. Around 11 a.m., the menu will transition from breakfast to a lunch and dinner service with a small menu of soups, salads, and sandwiches. Bartenders trained at both Wright & Company and The Sugar House will serve a selection of beers, wines, and craft cocktails inspired by artwork in the museum.

MOCAD programming will continue to be held in the space. In the spring, Kwiakowski hopes to expand into brunch service with a Bloody Mary bar.

Kwiatkowski says that plumbing work has already commenced and carpentry will begin on Thursday.

Tipping is essential. Have a scoop or heard a rumor? Send it to the Eater Detroit tip line.