Presley's Kitchen + Bar to open in downtown's David Whitney building this fall

A new restaurant is planning a fall opening on the ground floor of downtown Detroit’s historic David Whitney Building on Woodward at the corner of Park.

The Detroit-based Roxbury Group, through its Treefort Hospitality group, announced in a news release that Presley’s Kitchen + Bar from local restaurant operators will open later this year.

Presley’s Kitchen + Bar is a new concept from the New Hudson-based Davis Hospitality group. Brandon and Karissa Davis are the husband-and-wife team behind the group.

“We looked for a long time to find the right partner for this space at the David Whitney,” Stacy Fox, principal of the Roxbury Group, said in a news release. “This building is special to Detroiters, and we wanted to be sure that the concept was something that would enhance the experience of guests, residents and visitors to the David Whitney. We are excited to bring Brandon’s and Karissa’s talents to this remarkable space.”

Brandon Davis said this new concept will be their “biggest location and in the biggest city.”

“Putting a restaurant in a famous building … you walk out the door and look to the right and see Ford Field and Comerica Park,” Davis said.  “It’s next-level cool and we are super excited about it.”

Presley’s Kitchen + Bar, named after the couple's eldest daughter, 9. It’s the hospitality group's newest concept but will follow the mission of its other restaurants, focusing on being made from scratch, when possible, along with using locally sourced foods and ingredients.

Presley’s will focus on American cuisine, have a wood-fired grill and utilize local ingredients. It'll be open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The new restaurant is part of the David Whitney Building's ongoing renovations.

“What’s going on down there and the fact that it’s getting renovated," Davis said, referring to the David Whitney Building. "It’s so art deco. There’s a marble staircase that goes to the basement. It’s just the coolest building. It’s like Detroit’s grand hotel. It’s going to be so nice, so classy and classic."

The ongoing renovations and upgrades to the building included the creation of the Autograph Collection Hotel, a Marriott brand hotel. The project involved renovating existing guest rooms and adding two more hotel floors from the current apartments.

Presley’s interior, designed by Illinois-based restaurant and hospitality designer Mark Knauer, will feature warm tones and art deco green accents, according to a news release.

There will be seating for 150 around the perimeter of the space with views of downtown and nearby Grand Circus Park. A focal point of the restaurant will be Presley’s 30-seat bar. There also is a sidewalk patio planned for its Woodward Avenue side.

Davis said the restaurant’s menu will focus on food without a lot of filler.  One example, Davis said, is the meatballs they serve at Novella’s. Their meatballs, he said, have only eight ingredients with a lot of them being seasonings.

“Local, clean,  good ingredients with everything made in-house,” Davis said. "Keep it simple and keep it fresh and keep it as local as you can get.”

Davis said the wood-fire grilled will allow them to rotate the menu seasonally. Expect a menu, he said, with a selection of appetizers,  wood-fired grilled flatbreads, sandwiches, cheeseburgers (with beef that is ground in-house), high-end steaks, and seafood.

Davis said Presley’s will be the place to go to for any occasion  “before a Red Wings Game or on a random weeknight.”

“We want to be progressive and unique but not the place you only come to once a year,” he said. “It’s approachable but very polished and good.”

Davis Hospitality's restaurant portfolio includes Novella’s Pizza in Milford, named after the Davises’ middle daughter, now 7, (the couple also have a 3½-year-old son, Hendrix); there is also a location inside Ford Field. Novella's Pizza in Milford opened more than five years ago.

The Reserve in Brighton is a new fine-dining steakhouse from Davis Hospitality with plans to open later this summer. There they will serve prime steaks, seafood, craft cocktails and have a 100-plus-bottle wine list.

Davis, 41, grew up in Northville and has been in the restaurant industry since 2005. He spent several years out of Michigan working for Cameron Mitchell restaurants, opening Ocean Prime locations. Davis also worked for J. Alexander’s restaurants in Nashville and West Bloomfield.

Presley’s expects to employ about 90 people. A late fall opening is planned.

Contact Detroit Free Press food and restaurant writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news to: sselasky@freepress.com. Follow @SusanMariecooks on Twitter. Subscribe to the Free Press.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Presley's Kitchen + Bar to open in David Whitney building this fall