It's a homegrown Detroit success story, evidence of how a neighborhood small business can grow with a reviving city.
The new space is across the street from the Fisher Building on West Grand. (Facebook photos)
Seven years after creating a coffeeshop that they call “a cozy living room for Southwest Detroit,” neighborhood native Melissa Fernandez and spouse Jordi Carbonell have a second location in a distinctly different area.
Café Con Leche Nord opened a few weeks ago in a brightly remodeled space at 2990 W. Grand Blvd. opposite the Fisher Building. Its weekday hours are tailored to the boulevard's office and retail environment. The menu includes salad and three types of bocadillos (sandwiches).
The main site is on West Vernor Highway at Scotten, across from Clark Park -- a vibrant residential-commercial district that also has evolved in recent years. "The street is alive and full again," says the Our Story page at the business' website. The coupe says they believe "that a coffee shop should serve as a place to bring all people together."
Brenna Houck of Eater Detroit describes their new space as featuring a "muted white and blue palette."
Countertops are finished with reclaimed wood, while the eye-catching mosaic below the espresso machine features custom-made tiles designed by local artist Itchel Arriga.
A long bar allows for plenty of countertop seating as well as tables and benches. During warmer weather, the café windows can slide open to create a bistro feel.
The New Center shop includes a private room, suited for business meetings, with seating for 14 to 18 people. The designer is architect Noah Resnick of Urban Detail.
-- Alan Stamm
The primary Café Con Leche (Coffee with Milk) has been opposite Clark Park since 2008. It moved there a year after opening at Bagley and 21st Street in Southwest Detroit.
