HopCat Bar opening in Detroit; will be biggest location yet

[Lowell]

Great. more drunken d-bags trolling the streets looking for fights.

As if the drunken food courts in suburban downtowns were not bad enough.

Sheesh DP. Maybe you should apply to work with the Detroit Visitors Bureau.

Seriously though, why interpret a future no one can predict by going down a negative hole? If we are going to speak of the unknown then why not, 'Wow, more good news. Things are taking off and people from all over will be attracted to downtown Detroit adding millions to the economy, tax revenue for the city and creating jobs.'

As for innercitydoc's

My concern is that there seems to be an overabundance of sports [not a sports bar as later noted] bars downtown and the market may become saturated.

I think downtown is a long way from saturation of anything. There is a critical mass effect that happens where more = more attractions and options = more visitors staying longer = more opportunities. That is how I see that.

[poobert]

Well I mean, if you don't like people drinking or loud, rowdy crowds maybe you should stay in another part of town? The people who want to live downtown EXPECT that that is what their surroundings will be like. Some people move to Indian Village because they want a more family friendly atmosphere. Seriously, lay off the bars. Its a great way to attract people downtown and entertain visitors who want something to do after, say, 11pm.

You mean like when they should be SLEEPING or IN CHURCH, you drunken sinner?

[bailey]

No residential here nor will there be; now is there?

.. did I miss the announcement that hop cat at was going in a residential building or area dissimilar to bw's

[Mackinaw]

Lame thread. Bottom line: someone is trying to grow their business in Detroit. Some of you seem to think the product is too white-bread or generic or something. Let's face the facts though: downtown is at the center of one of the largest midwest metro areas, and said area is chock-full of white bread people [[who aren't necessarily white, of course!), and downtown plays host to events of all types that draw people both simple and sophisticated to town. Moreover, some of those people come specifically to party. That happens in just about every fine city I've been too.

This raises interesting issues. On the one hand, downtown has tons of space to fill, so you stand on shaky grounds when you decry whoever is coming in to fill the voids [[unless they are a strip club or something). On the other hand, we certainly would all like to see Detroit's next several years of development "managed" in one way or another. We need diverse and balanced commercial offerings-- we need to foster things like a department store, discount stores, and a more mature/diverse restaurant scene [[I think we're well on our way, there).

My advice is to be more tolerant of developments like this. If you don't like it in your neighborhood, don't go there. Yelp your dislike. The market will speak for itself. And if you don't like people coming from out of town to party…you probably shouldn't live downtown.

But this is a big city and for every place that doesn't meet your sophisticated tastes, or mine, there are sure to be one or two new sufficiently edgy or otherwise useful places opening up. I am 100 percent behind the smaller-is-better movement and certainly want to 'keep Detroit weird,' but I am going to call out those of you who are seemingly offended, and then rush to judgment, if something doesn't meet those criteria. It happens.

Big city. Big tent. Keep it in perspective.

[NickCharles]

Same shit as always, around here.
Word comes of some new joint opening.
One group, completely enchanted, hollers, "Oh, goody!!"
Another group, steeped in pessimism and generally horrified, hollers, "Shit!! That's the last thing we need!!"
The two sides, still behaving with some civility, begin to argue the pros & cons.
The argument degenerates from snarky debate into boorish bandying-about of stereotypes and thinly-disguised personal insults.
Zacha tries to add something light-hearted, in the hope of calming the roiling waters.
Someone whips out the creme de la creme, the pizza resistant Term of All Terms: "ad hominem attacks."
One or more thread-bearer[[s) is banned.
Thread is deleted.

[DetroitPlanner]

Congrats Mackinaw!!!

Sometimes I will throw stuff out there that I have heard in hundreds of public meetings that I have attended over the last 25 years. You will not believe some of the crazy stuff you hear that has no basis in reality. Emotions often take over when things are proposed. That is why the right locations are paramount.

[Khorasaurus]

This is nothing but great news. Hopcat is a solid, Michigan-based business, and they're going to take a lot of space with an active, fun use.

[noise]

Someone whips out the creme de la creme, the pizza resistant Term of All Terms: "ad hominem attacks."

Intentional or not, this made me chuckle. Thank you.

[CrashDummy]

Someone whips out the creme de la creme, the pizza resistant Term of All Terms: "ad hominem attacks."

Where's that dude that always cries "smokescreen"? I could go for a little of that.

[ABetterDetroit]

Fantastic! Almost every day now there is news of more jobs coming to Detroit. more jobs offers a little more tax revenue and higher property values which enable the city to give better services to its citizens. Service industry jobs offer opportunity to young people that have been out of the work force to get in and learn new skills and or earn some $ while working on a education. Good restaurants, bars, and entertainment increase interest in downtown living that in turn spurs more residential housing new and rehab. This news is nothing short of a win win win for Detroit's future.

[Hypestyles]

what does it really mean to have 130+ types of beer on tap? I'm not a beer connoisseur or even particularly a beer drinker. Is it only served in sippy cups?

[Spartan]

what does it really mean to have 130+ types of beer on tap? I'm not a beer connoisseur or even particularly a beer drinker. Is it only served in sippy cups?

It means that there are 130 different draft beer options at a time

[Gorath]

On tap means draft beer. [[From a spout behind the bar, which is hooked up to a keg somewhere.

They will also have beer from bottles.

Here is the Grand Rapids location beer list.
http://www.hopcat.com/main/BeerList.aspx
They have about 50 beers on tap. And about 200+ more varieties in bottles. You won't find Budweiser, Bud Lite, or any of the other macro type beers at this bar. Which means most of their beers are pricey. But they do have PBR if you are looking for cheap beer.

[motz]

They have about 50 beers on tap. And about 200+ more varieties in bottles. You won't find Budweiser, Bud Lite, or any of the other macro type beers at this bar. Which means most of their beers are pricey. But they do have PBR if you are looking for cheap beer.

This, to me, is the true test of a good beer bar. Tons of great options, but they have one "Yellow Fizzy Beer" [[as One Eyed Betty's calls it) for those of us who enjoy a few nice brews, but get declining returns after a bit. I am way excited.

Also DetroitPlanner's argument about "trashed bro dudes looking for fights" sounds like the same arguments we hear from people in the suburbs saying that this business or events will draw "those people from Detroit". Hmmm.

[DetroitPlanner]

Also DetroitPlanner's argument about "trashed bro dudes looking for fights" sounds like the same arguments we hear from people in the suburbs saying that this business or events will draw "those people from Detroit". Hmmm.

If you look at what I said to Mackinaw that was the whole point I was trying to make. You will have people opposed and pro whatever happens. These folks will show up to the hearings. Everything you propose you need to be able to defend.

[Hypestyles]

So if you don’t know your pilsners from your ambers from your stouts, etc., will the staff look at you with disdain? Are ‘beer neophytes’ welcome at such establishments?

[Spartan]

So if you don’t know your pilsners from your ambers from your stouts, etc., will the staff look at you with disdain? Are ‘beer neophytes’ welcome at such establishments?

It's the best kind of place to learn!

[motz]

It's the best kind of place to learn!

Not a lie. I learned about a lot of the less common beer styles by going to One Eyed Betty's, Club BFDs and other brew pubs or breweries. There is stuff you won't run across terribly often, but might become one of your favorites [[lookin' at you siasons!) and these people will have immaculate knowledge about it. I hope.

[Spartan]

Not a lie. I learned about a lot of the less common beer styles by going to One Eyed Betty's, Club BFDs and other brew pubs or breweries. There is stuff you won't run across terribly often, but might become one of your favorites [[lookin' at you siasons!) and these people will have immaculate knowledge about it. I hope.

Yup, if you want to learn about beer, a place like this is great. They have just about every style of beer available at all times and the bartenders are usually very knowledgable about them. If you tell them what kinds of things you like [[alcohol or not), they'll probably be able to find the right beer for you. I believe they generally sell small samples of each beer, in addition to pints. HopCat has pretty high standards for their staff. IIRC, servers at their East Lansing location had to have a minimum 3 years of experience.

[downtownguy]

Yup, if you want to learn about beer, a place like this is great. They have just about every style of beer available at all times and the bartenders are usually very knowledgable about them. If you tell them what kinds of things you like [[alcohol or not), they'll probably be able to find the right beer for you. I believe they generally sell small samples of each beer, in addition to pints. HopCat has pretty high standards for their staff. IIRC, servers at their East Lansing location had to have a minimum 3 years of experience.

Some of you young bucks talk like you discovered beer. Back in the day, there was a place on the riverfront [[before Dennis Archer had this great idea to put casinos there) called the Soup Kitchen Saloon. It was my introduction to the wide variety of beers. Back then, if you asked for a craft beer at a bar, you were asking for a beating. In addition to being a great place to hear some serious blues, the Soup Kitchen had a blackboard hanging over the dining area with perhaps 20 -- maybe more -- beers available. They weren't "craft" beers, and most came in bottles, not on tap. But it was a much larger selection than most bars had at the time. As someone else alluded to here, I always thought it would be an adventure to start at the top of list and work my way down. I never made it too far, and by the time I went back, I forget where I left off, so I might just have to drink a particular brew twice. Oh, well.

[DetroitPlanner]

Some of you young bucks talk like you discovered beer. Back in the day, there was a place on the riverfront [[before Dennis Archer had this great idea to put casinos there) called the Soup Kitchen Saloon. It was my introduction to the wide variety of beers. Back then, if you asked for a craft beer at a bar, you were asking for a beating. In addition to being a great place to hear some serious blues, the Soup Kitchen had a blackboard hanging over the dining area with perhaps 20 -- maybe more -- beers available. They weren't "craft" beers, and most came in bottles, not on tap. But it was a much larger selection than most bars had at the time. As someone else alluded to here, I always thought it would be an adventure to start at the top of list and work my way down. I never made it too far, and by the time I went back, I forget where I left off, so I might just have to drink a particular brew twice. Oh, well.

The Rivertown Saloon was also over there and had a mind boggling number of bottles. I can recall getting this one called Beire de Paris, when it arrived it was like drinking out of a 40. It had to be in a wine bottle!

[NickCharles]

Some of you young bucks talk like you discovered beer. Back in the day, there was a place on the riverfront [[before Dennis Archer had this great idea to put casinos there) called the Soup Kitchen Saloon. It was my introduction to the wide variety of beers. Back then, if you asked for a craft beer at a bar, you were asking for a beating. In addition to being a great place to hear some serious blues, the Soup Kitchen had a blackboard hanging over the dining area with perhaps 20 -- maybe more -- beers available. They weren't "craft" beers, and most came in bottles, not on tap. But it was a much larger selection than most bars had at the time. As someone else alluded to here, I always thought it would be an adventure to start at the top of list and work my way down. I never made it too far, and by the time I went back, I forget where I left off, so I might just have to drink a particular brew twice. Oh, well.

Oh please.
So, you're saying that we had it made because we didn't have access to dozens & dozens of craft beers and most places had a maximum of 3 beers on tap?
No Sale

[NickCharles]

And what in the hell is "immaculate knowledge" supposed to mean?

[old guy]

I have to agree with Spartan & Motz. Bars that offer a wide variety of beers are usually interesting places. Most do offer sampler trays and very few are hard core party bars. The Soup Kitchen was a great place too. Different than this place will be, but unique. If it's a bad place it will probably disappear. I doubt that. Sounds like a good addition to the city.

[Spartan]

I have to agree with Spartan & Motz. Bars that offer a wide variety of beers are usually interesting places. Most do offer sampler trays and very few are hard core party bars. The Soup Kitchen was a great place too. Different than this place will be, but unique. If it's a bad place it will probably disappear. I doubt that. Sounds like a good addition to the city.

It absolutely will be a great place. There's a reason that HopCat continually ends up on lists of the top bars in the USA. Anyone who thinks this is a bad thing is jaded, one way or the other.