Grand Circus Park’s R.U.B. BBQ Switches Gears, Becomes Bike-Friendly Eatery

Gone are the days of ribs at R.U.B. BBQ. The downtown restaurant near Grand Circus Park is switching gears to become Cykel, a bike-friendly eatery with a focus on shared plates and more veggies, according to The Detroit News.

The owners have recruited Slow Roll co-founder Jason Hall to manage the restaurant and helm its transition. The new bike-inspired décor echoes the focus of other businesses (think Windmill Pointe's bicycle-powered brewery).

Hall says the new atmosphere will be a "culture bar" that is bicycle-centric with vintage bikes and cycle memorabilia as part of the decor, available bike pumps and bike parking out front. He also hopes to host live music, from hip-hop to indie rock.

The restaurant is also completely leaving barbecue behind, Hall says, which begs the question: Has Metro Detroit's barbecue trend finally peaked? Writer Melody Baetens seems to suggest the conceptual change has more to do with moving away from a reliance on athletic events than a preference for pulled pork. Still, with many new restaurants—Selden Standard, Greenspace Café, and Detroit Vegan Soul included—devoting greater attention to veggies, Detroit may be trending less towards meat and potatoes these days and more towards meat and Brussels sprouts.

Hall expects the switch to Cykel will be completed prior to the Slow Roll bike club's March 29 season kick-off.