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New restaurant in downtown Detroit bringing comfort food, great views to the city

Posted at 10:38 AM, Aug 11, 2021
and last updated 2021-08-11 19:25:03-04

(WXYZ) — A new restaurant is coming to the heart of downtown Detroit, and the signage is up on the Little Caesars HQ along Woodward Ave.

For the owners of Union Assembly, the design goal of their new Detroit restaurant is to make the 7,200-square-foot space feel as welcoming and comfortable as their other popular establishments.

“I would say the space itself is brawny, it’s burly, it’s elegant at the same time with some deco undertones," Curt Catallo said. "It’s kind of got that feeling of something you’ll find in a factory in the 30s.”

Thus the name – Union Assembly.

“It’s about building and delivering food, and it's about building a crew that delivers the food," he said. "I think the space is doing the same thing.”

Recruited back to Michigan Chef Mara Jaffe and Chef Phillip Vernier are in place to run a kitchen that will deliver menu favorites, including "The Most Macked mac & Cheese" and some new additions.

During the pandemic, so many restaurants across America pivoted to comfort food and we’re lucky that that’s the lane we’ve occupied since 1995," Catallo said.

He said they're still doing what they love, but also allowing the chefs to have more fun with ingredients.

"They've taken that license and run with it," he said.

Catallo and his wife and business partner, designer Ann Stevenson, are co-owners of Union Joins Restaurant Group. We toured Union Assembly and an exclusive first look.

The second-floor lounge features an indoor-outdoor bar with windows that open completely, offering spectacular views onto Woodward Ave. and across from Comerica Park.

“I want them to come here and be like, 'we had so much fun we forgot to go until the seventh inning.'" he said.

The big, remaining challenge to opening the doors is hiring the 125 employees necessary to meet Catallo's expectation for consistency and service.

They recently held a job fair that went well, but they are still actively hiring and looking to get as many servers as possible. You can visit joinjoints.com. The plan is to open next month.