Sullivan's Steakhouse to fill Roast space at Detroit's Westin Book Cadillac

Another upscale, meat-centric restaurant is expected to open in the space formerly occupied by Michael Symon's Roast.

Chicago-based real estate and hospitality investment firm Oxford Capital Group announced it has secured Sullivan's Steakhouse as the new first-floor tenant at the Westin Book Cadillac Detroit. Sullivan's Steakhouse is an American steakhouse offering hand-cut steaks, fresh seafood, and signature cocktails paired with the sounds of jazz music, according to its website.

More:Inn Season Kitchen carryout vegan and vegetarian spot is closing

The restaurant space is on the ground floor of the Westin Book Cadillac on Washington Boulevard in downtown Detroit.

More:Assaggi Bistro in Ferndale to shut after New Year's Eve

"Along with the hotel's comprehensive strategic renovation and repositioning, the addition of Sullivan's Steakhouse to The Westin Book Cadillac will further improve the overall guest experience and provide an exciting new venue in the growing downtown neighborhood," said John W. Rutledge, founder, chairman, and CEO of Oxford Capital Group, LLC and Oxford Hotels & Resorts, LLC in a statement.

This is the first Sullivan's Steakhouse location that will be inside a hotel and the first in Michigan, according to the news release. Plans are to renovate the 8,500-square-foot restaurant space and offer a new outdoor patio. A mid-2023 opening is planned.

More:Westin Book Cadillac renovations to begin in January will include a new restaurant

Sullivan's Steakhouse specializes in hand-cut steaks, including filet mignon, ribeye, New York strip, and Cajun ribeye, according to its menu. Bone-in cuts include the ribeye cowboy cut, wagyu strip, roasted rack of lamb, porterhouse and a dry-aged long-bone ribeye. For the non-meat diners, there's a variety of fresh seafood and chicken dishes. Sullivan's Steakhouse menu also includes a variety of soups, salads, and starters.

"We've long had our sights set on expanding to Michigan, and when the opportunity to open in the historic Westin Book Cadillac Building presented itself, we knew we simply had to take advantage of this unique opportunity and moment in Sullivan's evolution and growth," said Nishant Machado, president and chief executive officer of Dividend Restaurant Group in a statement. "We look forward to being part of the Detroit community and for residents and visitors alike to have the chance to try our signature American fare."

Oxford Group also noted that it is in talks with other potential tenants to fill restaurant space formerly occupied by 24Grille — now located inside nearby Hotel Indigo on Washington Boulevard.

Last January, Roast abruptly closed. Employees were notified of the closure after finishing a Saturday night shift. Since 2008, Roast has been a prominent fixture within downtown Detroit's dining scene, opening at the same time as the grand reopening of the historic hotel.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Roast was known for having one of the best bar happy hour menus in the city. The darling of the Roast happy hour menu was its burger, topped with an egg, cheese, and bacon along with its rosemary fries.

The Oxford group acquired the historic hotel along with Taconic Capital last December. A renovation of the 453-room hotel is currently taking place that includes guest rooms, public spaces, meeting rooms, and ballrooms, according to a news release.

Sullivan's Steakhouse was founded in 1996 in Austin, Texas, and is billed as an American steakhouse. Across the country, Sullivan's Steakhouse has 14 locations including Anchorage, Alaska.

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

Support local journalism and become a digital subscriber to the Free Press.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Upscale Sullivan's Steakhouse to fill space formerly occupied by Roast