Lessons learned running a bar in Detroit since 2005
Daily Detroit · Jer Staes, Owen Burke, Tony Piraino
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Show Notes
What does it take to run a bar and restaurant?
When Owen Burke and his business partner Tony Piraino first ran a bar called Pulse in 2005, the building they were leasing got demolished by the city for future progress.
So they changed concepts, got a hold of a historic building in Greektown, and opened Firebird Tavern in 2013.
A decade in one concept is quite the accomplishment in their industry.
And recently, they expanded with a second location in Troy, Michigan. In this honest conversation at the Daily Detroit studio at TechTown, we talk about the ups, the challenges, and a lot more.
Show notes:
02:21 - History of the building in Greektown and introductions
06:17 - Why do a second location in Troy?
06:44 - The harsh impact of COVID on business, and the long-term changes
08:02 - Traffic feels down in Downtown Detroit to 2008, pre-bankruptcy levels and patterns
10:51 - Extensive plans to convert Monroe Street to be more pedestrian friendly, thoughts and impact
11:51 - The timing of I-375 project matters and it's all interlocked
12:40 - Hard business lessons from the Avenue of Fashion closures on Livernois and businesses closed
13:39 - Lessons learned since 2005 on making a place go
15:06 - Everyone will bring you a Bud Light. What's different about your spot?
17:11 - On keeping staff
19:42 - Biggest changes in the Greektown neighborhood over the years
20:40 - Wrestling with negative headlines for Greektown and addressing issues late at night
23:47 - How important are events like the NFL Draft, Opening Day, and Super Bowl?
26:37 - General advice for others wanting to start a bar or restaurant
30:14 - What to order at Firebird Tavern
34:54 - How to get business? Answer the phone. Follow up. Build the events business.
39:21 - Online ordering is a multiple times the volume in the suburbs than the city. The volume is almost non-existent downtown; in suburbs, it's a key part of business
40:10 - Who thought we'd be paying with our eyeballs? And the fact credit cards are everywhere when a lot used to be cash. Patrons are driving that change, since so few use cash now, credit card companies come with fees.
43:26 - Hopes for 2024
Thanks to today's sponsor, City Bird: https://www.citybirddetroit.com/
(To be clear, they had no impact on the content of the episode outside of their ad read)
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