Chelis Chili Bar to Close

[Atticus]

Chelis Chili Bar, next to Comerica Park, will close on November 24, 2018.

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/en...24/1992440002/

I believe the building is still owned by Ilitch, which will add another vacant building to their portfolio.

[p1acebo]

Chelis Chili Bar, next to Comerica Park, will close on November 24, 2018.

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/en...24/1992440002/

I believe the building is still owned by Ilitch, which will add another vacant building to their portfolio.

Hopefully it gets replaced with something better.

[DetroitSoldier]

I know Buddy's Pizza had talked about moving to the Madison Building several months back. I think the Cheli's location would be a better fit for them near the park and provide that corner with a year around tenant as opposed to just a gameday destination.

[abraham]

seeeeee ya

[Scottathew]

It goes to show that the Ilitch way of completely depending on events is not the way to go.

[Lowell]

This ties into the narrative that stadiums tend to create dead zones around them as they become, when not having an event, people-less acres--unlike, say, a skyscraper. When there is an event nearby venues are often overwhelmed and parking for non-event guests and regular patrons becomes impossible.

As for Cheli's, I tried it a couple of time then never went back. The chili was mediocre I found the setting and impersonal.

[ParisianLesion]

100% agree. I've been maybe 3 times simply for convenience of proximity to a Tigers game. Always disappointed. The best feature of the whole place - the roof - was ALWAYS closed. Other than general location, there was literally nothing redeeming about this place. I'm sure whatever replaces it will be much better. But that isn't really saying much.

[Bham1982]

This ties into the narrative that stadiums tend to create dead zones around them as they become, when not having an event, people-less acres--unlike, say, a skyscraper. When there is an event nearby venues are often overwhelmed and parking for non-event guests and regular patrons becomes impossible.

Bingo. Stadium districts are either desolate or overwhelmed.

[Zacha341]

As for Cheli's, I tried it a couple of time then never went back. The chili was mediocre I found the setting and impersonal.

I try to AVOID such trendy 'hot spot' places. I'm sure some divey bars make a far superior chili!

[401don]

This ties into the narrative that stadiums tend to create dead zones around them as they become, when not having an event, people-less acres--unlike, say, a skyscraper. When there is an event nearby venues are often overwhelmed and parking for non-event guests and regular patrons becomes impossible.

As for Cheli's, I tried it a couple of time then never went back. The chili was mediocre I found the setting and impersonal.

Stadiums can be dead zones but downtown should be nearing the point where it has come back enough that a restaurant facing Grand Circus Park can be profitable. Cheli's was content to cash in on selling cans of beer in their parking lot on game days while making zero effort to make the venue a dining destination. A good pizza/spaghetti or chinese restaurant would draw concertgoers as well as downtown residents on non game days.

[Hypestyles]

so this place was only open on game days? bizarre..

[Gistok]

so this place was only open on game days? bizarre..

No... not really.... in the Fox Building the former Da Eduardo's and Johnny Rockets were only open on theatre or game days [[as were its' predecessors Foxtown Grille and American Pizza Cafe). Same for the State Bar next door in the Francis Palms Building [[Fillmore Theatre). It too is only open on game or theatre days.

[bust]

It was sad when the area around what was supposed to be one of two CBD parks was mostly abandoned. But it's almost as sad to have what can best be described as a tailgate pub there. Little loss, easily improved.

But it's a challenging location.

It's even sadder to have two giant infrequently-used stadiums next door. Some complain they are out of date already. Detroit indeed deserves better, but not because it needs more corporate luxury boxes.

I'm looking optimistically toward the future when a healthier local economy warrants their relocation to a less central location in the city, where they belong. Hopefully without enormous taxpayer subsidies.

[softailrider]

It was sad when the area around what was supposed to be one of two CBD parks was mostly abandoned. But it's almost as sad to have what can best be described as a tailgate pub there. Little loss, easily improved.

But it's a challenging location.

It's even sadder to have two giant infrequently-used stadiums next door. Some complain they are out of date already. Detroit indeed deserves better, but not because it needs more corporate luxury boxes.

I'm looking optimistically toward the future when a healthier local economy warrants their relocation to a less central location in the city, where they belong. Hopefully without enormous taxpayer subsidies.

Your’re going to need a lot of patience because none of that is happening in the real near future.

[K-slice]

It was sad when the area around what was supposed to be one of two CBD parks was mostly abandoned. But it's almost as sad to have what can best be described as a tailgate pub there. Little loss, easily improved.

But it's a challenging location.

I'm sure Cheli's made plenty of money even with its limited hours and mostly game day traffic. Development on the giant surface lot between Adams and Madison and the Madison-Lenox site would be a good start to livening up the area around the stadiums on off game days. Not holding my breath for that though...

[Atticus]

It was sad when the area around what was supposed to be one of two CBD parks was mostly abandoned. But it's almost as sad to have what can best be described as a tailgate pub there. Little loss, easily improved.

But it's a challenging location.

It's even sadder to have two giant infrequently-used stadiums next door. Some complain they are out of date already. Detroit indeed deserves better, but not because it needs more corporate luxury boxes.

I'm looking optimistically toward the future when a healthier local economy warrants their relocation to a less central location in the city, where they belong. Hopefully without enormous taxpayer subsidies.

Agree. Ford Field has aged much better than CoPa, but can’t see the Tigers [[or Lions) moving anywhere for a long time. The mood has shifted in Michigan, and the majority of taxpayers are no longer willing to subsidize stadiums for millionaires, especially to replace one as new as CoPa. And the simple economics are that without those taxpayer subsidies, it is much more profitable for the owner to keep them at CoPa, rather than pay out of their pockets to build a new stadium elsewhere. So CoPa long term it is.

Which leads to another discussion... if the Tigers and Lions are going to be playing in those locations for the long term, what is the most effective use of the real estate [[ like Cheli’s ) surrounding the stadiums, given the infrequent use as you mentioned? That is what the narrative needs to be, because even though I agree these large stadiums kill the neighborhood streetlife more days than not, they are probably here to stay. So how does Detroit as a city mitigate that?

[Gistok]

I don't believe that the Women's Exchange Building [[the original name of this building) was ever owned by the Ilitches.

When they were building Comerica Park/Ford Field, the Wayne County Development Authority was going to condemn this very attractive English Tudor syle building as part of Comerica Park footprint area.

The building owner didn't feel it was necessary to have this building taken away from him [[via Eminent Domain back then), and went to court to prevent its' destruction.

Needless to say that during the court case, the excuse that the Ilitches gave [[via their lawyers) was that they needed the building "for a decorative sidewalk"...

The judge decided against the county/Ilitches, and it was salvaged from the wreckers ball, and not used as part of the Ilitches "wasteland".

Well it didn't end there... the Ilitches were so vindictive that they refused to cooperate with any business scheme for the building [[one idea was a nicer Chinese restaurant/bar). But since any development required more parking spaces, [[leasing some from the Ilitches)... each proposed idea was DOA... until that is about a decade ago when Red Wing favorite Chris Chelios offered to create a Chelios Chili... then the Iliches DID cooperate... and the rest is history. I am not sure who owns the building today, but I hope it is on the city's historic preservation list.

P.S. One reason, besides its' beautiful GCP facade that should be saved, is that this is where Henry Ford's only son Edsel first met his future wife Eleanor Clay, in the Women's Exchange Building in the mid 1910s.

[Danny]

It's time for Chelli's Chilli Bar to make an area where they can get a lot of people in Campus Martius.

[Smirnoff]

Where can you buy a $ten-dollar beer nowadays....

[drjeff]

Where can you buy a $ten-dollar beer nowadays....

Seriously. Why do people go to places like Hockeytown and Cheli's and pay stadium beer prices outside the stadium? Downtown Detroit is full of great, cheap bars!

[EGrant]

Seriously. Why do people go to places like Hockeytown and Cheli's and pay stadium beer prices outside the stadium? Downtown Detroit is full of great, cheap bars!

The answer is familiarity. The name recognition of a Hockeytown Cafe or Hard Rock seems like a "safe" place for people who aren't up on the latest options or familiar with the food/bar scene downtown. Thankfully, the reputation and awareness of what's downtown now has drastically improved.

[Atticus]

Apparently Cheli’s has been sold to the Illitches. Oh Goodie.... more parking anyone? See end of article.

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/en...rn/2102175002/

[Danny]

Thank you Chris for the bring the power of the Chilli Bar to Gilberttown Detroit. Detroit will miss you so much.

[jerrytimes]

Most here seem to not remember all the money that Chelios put into this building.... I believe that before Chelis Chili opened, it was vacant for a long time. Anyway, Chris is moving back to Chicago, that is one of the reasons that it is closing. When he played for the Blackhawks, he had one or two restaurants in Chicago. He came to play for Detroit and he closed them and opened them here.

[iheartthed]

Surprised that it lasted this long.