Detroit’s Shipping Container Food Hall Aims for Late May Opening

Detroit’s hotly anticipated but oft-delayed shipping container food hall may yet open this spring. Detroit Shipping Company’s co-founder Jonathan Hartzell tells Crain’s that the food hall located on Peterboro Street in Cass Corridor is aiming for a debut over Memorial Day weekend.

When it finally drops anchor next month Detroit Shipping Company will feature a lineup of six restaurant vendors as well as two bars operated by the developers and a newly-confirmed microbrewery pop-up space. The vendors include:

• Brujo Tacos & Tapas: Chef Petro Drakopoulos of Republica in Berkley is planning to offer tacos prepared with handmade tortillas alongside high-end canned seafood options.
• Coop: Expect spicy, marinated Asian-Caribbean chicken from this stand by chef Max Hardy (River Bistro).
• Bangkok 96 Street Food: Chef Genevieve Vang’s popular Bangkok 96 in Dearborn is bringing casual Thai street food to a Detroit outpost.
• -320 Coffee & Creamery: Expect Intelligentsia Coffee and plenty of ice cream made extra smooth with fast-freezing nitrogen.
• MotorBurger: Windsor import MotorBurger will offer a variety of “international” burgers as well as classic and new riffs on poutine.
• Bread Meats Bread: This Windsor-based restaurant promises plenty of sandwiches and salads.

In addition to the food, the hall will feature outdoor events space, a stage, and a retail shop for Berkley-based Armadillo Printwear.

Detroit Shipping Company has been in the works for more than three years. The founding partners originally sought to acquire space in Corktown but then set sights on Midtown in 2015. By 2016, the project had a new name and a location at 474 Peterboro St. but permitting delays meant that the hall’s 21 shipping containers didn’t begin stacking up at the site until last fall.

While Detroit Shipping Company is set to be the first food hall to open in Detroit, the trend has continued to build steam in the city. There are now several similar development on track to open in the area including a new Galley food hall and a what appears to be a “European-style” food hall in the Stone Soap Building. Stay tuned for more updates as Detroit’s first food hall gets closer to opening day.

• Food Hall Made From 21 Shipping Containers to Open in Detroit Around Memorial Day [Crain’s]
• Detroit’s Most Anticipated Restaurants and Bars, Spring 2018 [ED]
• All Detroit Shipping Company Coverage [ED]