Proof is closing

[EastsideQT]

BTW, where is, what is, Proof?

Proof is a bar located on the corner of Woodward & Adams in Downtown Detroit...it is closing this Friday December 18. It opened about 4 years ago.

[PQZ]

I found Proof and its owners to be very welcoming. There was always a diverse mix of clientele, the owners went out of their way to learn your name, your favorite drink and what your prefercences on food were.

Like the myth of $5 dollar Starbuck coffee, it was decidely not a place for wealthy or occasional visitors only. Yes you could order a $12 cocktail, but usually the $2.50 Red Stripe did me just fine.

The closure of the bar is not due to "failed strategies" or not "understanding what the real people of Detroit want". Its due to the sofetned economy pure and simple. Bars and restaurants are closing all across the metro market and all across the country.

This thread ought to be a salute to two investors who sunk their lives into making a good, welcoming watering hole that fostered a sense of community and pride. I know of at least one couple that met there and is now married.

Simply put, the owners walked the walk, sweated the sweat, sacrificed much and created a positive for the city . . . and when the economy catches them out, all a bunch of mealy mouthed whiners can do is bitch about it being not welcoming from behind the safety of keyboards.

[chitaku]

i got engaged at Proof, we wanted to have the after party there. bummer

[JStone]

PQZ and janb are dead on.

Proof was/is great bar and was never pretentious or exclusive. I was never charged a cover there and I was always greeted by the owners/bartenders with a smile and a handshake.

Like previous posters said, yes you could get a really pricy drink there, but the beers were in line with what other places charged [[beers I drink). It was certainly a fair price. I'm not one to order speciality drinks, but the ones I did have there, were excellent.

When they first opened, I was skeptical because looking in from the outside, one might think it's too high end or expensive, but after going there, I realized that it IS like a local watering hole for people that live in the Kales or in Brush Park. There always seemed to be a nice mix of blacks and whites - everybody was cool. The place has an easy going, welcoming vibe and I think that can be credited to how cool and hard working the owners are.

It has to be EXTREMELY tough running a business, in Michigan, in Detroit, during a recession.

They will be missed. It's sad that they're closing.

To all you haters out there, stop your hating.

"Jealousy will get you nowhere." - DD

[cman710]

I do not know any information about this particular situation, but I think we all need to keep in mind that even in good economic times, restaurants and bars are among the businesses that fail most often. Restaurants and bars usually do not make enormous profit margins, so small changes in demand can make a huge difference in profit for a small business. So even though Proof may have remained fairly busy, small changes in demand could have had a big impact on the bottom line.

Additionally, some businesses are simply not run well. I am not casting any aspersion's on Proof's owners at all, but my point is just that there are many reasons a bar could be unprofitable, even if it has a good location. To me, the financial health of other bars downtown in worse locations indicates that this is not something caused by downtown's "death," but rather a business closure because of what could be any of a number of factors.

[PQZ]

i got engaged at Proof, we wanted to have the after party there. bummer

Mkae that two couples that I know of that have had Proof play a role in their marriage.

I was at Proof for the T-Day parade where I met up with a wide variety of old friends - gay couples, straight couples, singletons, a brace of friends with children under the age of three. A real homecoming, especially for the past proprietor of Cafe Detroit. Was great to see many of the old Cafers at Proof.

Bummed to not see JStone and his hottie-pa-tottie there.

[Danny]

The recession killed proof.

[Toolbox]

I would have to disagree, artds. I think that corner is a prime location for an establishment, if it is the right one. I don't think sports fans are any more enthused about spending $12 on a martini than the next average Joe or downtown resident. If a sensible, smart, comfortable and affordable business located there, they would thrive. Even a tried-and-true chain like BW3 would fare well. Proof was too clean, too aseptic, too exclusive, too stuck-up to thrive anywhere except perhaps Birmingham.

Cross post to Detroit is cheap...

I have read posts on this forum for a long time but have never posted myself until now. I have to say how amazing it is that most of the people on here claim to love Detroit and hope for things to get better, yet as soon as a place like Proof closes, most of you are quick to pick it apart and seem to love to make assumptions as to why it failed. Clearly, and I mean very clearly, most of you have never even set foot in the place or you would not be spewing such crap.

I happened to have loved Proof and came to know and love the guys that ran the place. Let me tell you what I know. There was nothing "shady" going on and it certainly wasn't "exclusive". They only had DJs on the weekends and never charged a cover or had a dress code. The staff, themselves, often wore Tiger's t-shirts, etc. They had a very diverse crowd in many ways, certainly never an "exclusive" one. The owners sunk their hearts and souls into that bar; at least one of them was there everyday, all day. They, were, in fact, the bartenders and they were damn good bartenders at that. They took great care to get to know their customers and had lots of local regulars as a result. The drinks were the same price as they are pretty much anywhere. Yes, they had some $10 martinis, but they were made to perfection with top shelf ingredients. Those same martinis were also 1/2 off 2-3 times a week.

The only people that know exactly why Proof is closing are the owners and I'm sure they are feeling pretty disappointed that something they sunk as much time, money and energy into has failed. So why make it worse by bad-mouthing the place and making such ridiculous assumptions about it? It's just sad, really.

I found Proof and its owners to be very welcoming. There was always a diverse mix of clientele, the owners went out of their way to learn your name, your favorite drink and what your prefercences on food were.

Like the myth of $5 dollar Starbuck coffee, it was decidely not a place for wealthy or occasional visitors only. Yes you could order a $12 cocktail, but usually the $2.50 Red Stripe did me just fine.

The closure of the bar is not due to "failed strategies" or not "understanding what the real people of Detroit want". Its due to the sofetned economy pure and simple. Bars and restaurants are closing all across the metro market and all across the country.

This thread ought to be a salute to two investors who sunk their lives into making a good, welcoming watering hole that fostered a sense of community and pride. I know of at least one couple that met there and is now married.

Simply put, the owners walked the walk, sweated the sweat, sacrificed much and created a positive for the city . . . and when the economy catches them out, all a bunch of mealy mouthed whiners can do is bitch about it being not welcoming from behind the safety of keyboards.

PQZ and janb are dead on.

Proof was/is great bar and was never pretentious or exclusive. I was never charged a cover there and I was always greeted by the owners/bartenders with a smile and a handshake.

Like previous posters said, yes you could get a really pricy drink there, but the beers were in line with what other places charged [[beers I drink). It was certainly a fair price. I'm not one to order speciality drinks, but the ones I did have there, were excellent.

When they first opened, I was skeptical because looking in from the outside, one might think it's too high end or expensive, but after going there, I realized that it IS like a local watering hole for people that live in the Kales or in Brush Park. There always seemed to be a nice mix of blacks and whites - everybody was cool. The place has an easy going, welcoming vibe and I think that can be credited to how cool and hard working the owners are.

It has to be EXTREMELY tough running a business, in Michigan, in Detroit, during a recession.

They will be missed. It's sad that they're closing.

To all you haters out there, stop your hating.

"Jealousy will get you nowhere." - DD

Cross pot to Spot on post du Jour...



Detroit rises one closed business after another.

[downandouterdrive]

I'll tell you. Savas has owned Nick's for years. His father [[or father-in-law) was Nick Leandes. Nick was given the Gaslight by the City of Detroit, along with a bunch of cash, in exchange to vacate his restaurant, Leande's, at Michigan and Cass, so the People Mover could be built. Nick was a legendary luncheon restauranteur. He also possessed a great personality and business acumen. When he passed, he left the Gaslight to Savas and his wife. It was paid for many years ago, in fact, at the outset. Savas doesn't have to put too many people in the seats to pay his nut.

You've got about 20% of your facts straight. That might be a new record.

[youngdetroiter]

I went to Proof for the first time around this past Thanksgiving, while giving a tour of Downtown to my friend from Germany. I occasionally meander by foot through Downtown, but I had never noticed this martini bar. We went at night, and both the interior and exterior were very dark. The signage was poor. The corner was so dark that is resembled a silhouette with the bright lights of Foxtown in the background. Nevertheless, the experience inside was very quaint and relaxing. I was impressed by the very attractive, sleek, clean interior.