Street Beet, the Lauded Vegan Pop-Up, Has Found Its Forever Home #DetroitFood
They’ll replace the recently shuttered Bobcat Bonnie’s in Corktown
The team behind the Eater Award-winning comeback pop-up Street Beet has announced that at long last it’s found a forever home. That’s great news for vegans on the southwest side of Detroit.
It’s perhaps bittersweet in that they’re taking over the space at 1800 Michigan Avenue that, up until earlier this week, had been the home of Bobcat Bonnie’s flagship original location for just under a decade.
In an email to reporters, Street Beet co-founder Megan Shaw writes that the move from the pop-up’s current place of residency — Third Street Bar — will allow Street Beet to expand its menu of plant-based creations inspired by Taco Bell and other fast-food favorites. Eventually, the hope is to have service for breakfast, lunch, brunch, and dinner available seven days a week. An opening timeline was not included in the announcement, but Shaw tells Eater that she’s aiming for a mid-summer launch. Service will continue at Third Street until the transition is completed.
The new spot will also feature a bar program that leans heavy on nonalcoholic cocktails, breads baked on premises, and breakfast. A walk-up window for to-go orders, game nights, and life DJ sets are also planned.
Joining Street Beet in the space for morning service will be Washed Up Coffee, a multi-roaster coffee venture founded by Emily Potter and Amélie Haakonsen. Potter has experience as manager of Dozer Coffee in Ann Arbor, while Haakonsen has worked with Dessert Oasis Coffee Roasters.
Street Beet’s menu is inspired by the offerings at fast-food standbys like Taco Bell and KFC, such as its Crunchywraps filled with walnut chorizo, dairy-free nacho cheese, and cashew sour cream and crispy Chicky sandwiches made of fried tofu inspired by the Colonel’s secret recipe; along with vegan versions of smash, coneys, and creamy milkshakes.
Shaw co-founded the eatery in 2018 with Nina Paletta. Listed as key members of the Street Beet team are GM Eva Guillen and pastry chef Mary “Lou” Hammer. Paletta’s name wasn’t included in the release. Shaw confirmed with Eater that Paletta is no longer involved with the business. Paletta is listed as living in LA on her LinkedIn profile.
The change comes three days after news broke that the flagship original location for longtime gastropub Bobcat Bonnie’s was closing permanently — the latest in a string of closures for the mini-chain owned by restaurateur Matthew Buskard that had once boasted six Michigan locations and plans to expand its footprint outside of the state. In a statement issued on Tuesday, March 4, Buskard said that the eatery was closed effective immediately and that the chain would continue to operate its locations in Ferndale and Lansing. He went on to say that his team at the Corktown outpost had been aware of the closure for the past few weeks and that several employees would be moving to jobs in Ferndale.
Bobcat Bonnie’s was among a string of new restaurants and bars to open in Corktown in the 2010s, launching in 2015, and helping to cement the city’s oldest neighborhood as a burgeoning restaurant row. At the time, Buskard’s team renovated the former O’Blivion’s pub into a bright, casual destination flush with multicolored murals that gave visitors a mid-range dining experience that wasn’t white table cloth, but not a sticky-floor dive either.
A location in Wyandotte followed a couple of years later, as well as in Ferndale, and eventually the chain expanded to include seven locations throughout Michigan. In the wake of the economic impacts that the COVID-19 pandemic had on the restaurant industry, Buskard’s Bobcat Bonnie’s stores began showing signs of struggle, with numerous locations closing permanently in recent months, as well as accusations of bounced checks and unfair treatment by management at its Ypsilanti location.
With the Corktown location shuttered this week, that leaves the Ferndale and Lansing locations remaining for the once-flourishing chain.
For Street Beet’s part, the founders got their start just up the street on Michigan Avenue, as a pop-up featuring vegan takes on Taco Bell’s menu at the then-called PJ’s Lagerhouse. The duo continued their mission to spread the gospel of plant-based fast food with appearances at spaces throughout the city, eventually landing a long-term residency at Third Street Bar, before taking a two-year hiatus, writing a cookbook, and reemerging at the Cass Corridor spot in August 2024 — a comeback that helped Street Beet land on the 2024 Eater Awards.
Street Beet, 1800 Michigan Avenue, opening date to be determined
from Eater Detroit - All
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