Rose’s Fine Food Team Bringing Casual Restaurant and Bar to New Center

Fans of farm fresh diner Rose’s Fine Food have a new neighborhood establishment to look forward to. Rose’s founders Lucy de Parry and Molly Mitchell are expanding to New Center with Wilda’s, a casual restaurant and bar.

Lucy de Parry confirms to Eater that they’ve signed the lease with real estate developers Midtown Inc. on a location at the corner of Grand Boulevard and Woodward Avenue. The location, which previously housed a beauty parlor and a pharmacy, will be converted into a roughly 60-seat eatery (about twice the size of Rose’s).

Like so many of Detroit’s older spaces the Woodward Avenue space feature tile floors, original tin ceilings, and big windows. The building is expected to undergo a "full green, sustainable buildout with a green roof," she adds. Mitchell and de Parry were also recipients of design award through the latest round of Motor City Match. The pair plans to meet with designers this week through the program. De Parry will also be working with her sister-in-law Chicago-based furniture designer Greta de Parry on the look of the bar.

Diners can expect counter service restaurant offering sweet and savory breakfast pastries, sandwiches, and salads, tailored to the area’s workers. "We're also going to have a bakery and deli case . . . of prepared foods and charcuterie and cheese," she says. "We're going to have a full espresso bar and coffee takeaway service as well as a full bar that will be open all day long." Keeping in line with Rose’s the restaurant will initially focus on breakfast and lunch and will eventually expand into dinner service. Wilda’s will also continue the owner’s traditions of using high-quality locally grown ingredients and a tip-free payment model.

When naming Rose’s, de Parry and Mitchell chose to pay tribute to their grandmother. Wilda’s also is an homage to their great grandmother. "They were incredibly strong women," she says.

De Parry is extremely careful to leave wiggle room for opening delays. While in an ideal world the eatery might debut by next spring, she’s betting on a fall 2017 opening. Stay tuned.

• Wilda’s Detroit Instagram [Official]

• All Rose’s Fine Food Coverage [ED]

• All Coming Attractions Coverage [ED]