Punch Bowl Social Brings "Eatertainment" To Detroit (Video)
By Edward Cardenas
DETROIT (CBS Detroit) - Punch Bowl Social will bring something for everyone under one roof in Downtown Detroit.
Modern dishes made from scratch with locally sourced ingredients; drinks including local craft beers and spirits along with individually mixed cocktails; and activities from classic arcade games to bowling are all offered at the new 24,000-square-foot gastro-diner and entertainment destination located on the ground floor of the Z parking structure.
"There is a wonderful historic culture that Detroit should be proud of and we wanted to be part of it," said Robert Thompson, CEO and founder of Punch Bowl Social, which has four locations across the country including Detroit.
The "gastro-diner" at 1331 Broadway - which has a capacity of nearly 1,000 - will open with at 7 p.m. Wednesday with a fundraiser for The Salvation Army and a performance by Kaleido. At 9 p.m., Punch Bowl Social will open to the public. It will start regular hours on Thursday.
Bedrock Real Estate Services, which owns the Z Deck where Punch Bowl Social is located, learned of the unique destination and recommended officials with the Detroit-based company visit Denver to see the restaurant concept in person.
Bedrock CEO Jim Ketai said they were "blown away" with the concept and thought "how perfect it would be in Detroit."
"It is actually just the perfect venue for Detroit and what we have going on here," said Ketai, of the venue which is located on Broadway.
The interior of the venue has a mixture of design elements including Victorian inspiration, Colorado mountain lodge, exposed brick and reclaimed wood in the various rooms. There is also a deer antler chandelier over the circle-bar in the center of the bar.
Punch Bowl Social's menu features locally sourced items including McClure's Pickles, Zingerman's Bakery, Scotty O'Hotty Hot Sauce, Atwater beer and Great Lakes Coffee.
"It is the next wave of what we call 'eatertainment.' It is something for both the foodies and the beverage craze, but then there is also an interactive component that is part of Punch Bowl Social and the brand," said Jason Dritsan, event sales manager for Punch Bowl Social. We really bring a lot of people into spaces, and gather, and get them to do things on a social level."
