(WXYZ) — Among the multiple people who are helping shape the new Detroit, one man's profile is quickly rising.
Paddy Lunch is making his mark by preserving the past. Lynch, whose family is famous in metro Detroit for running multiple funeral homes, is the new owner of the Dakota Inn Rathskeller on John R.
I got a personal tour of the Dakota Inn and sat down with Lynch to talk about his new acquisition that's joining a list of Detroit gems.
Inside the Dakota Inn, there are a million things to see. Lynch said in the 1930s, the original owner, Karl Kurz, bought a room in a Chinese laundry and turned it into a German bar.
"That’s Karl and Katherine in 1933, Aug. 1. And then from there he continued to build and expand the Dakota Inn,' Lynch said, showing me a photo.
It’s clear the space has been loved and meticulously cared for for decades.
"So then he expanded first into what was first, sort of a beer garden, and built this room. And then finally, around 1938, about five years, he put in the main dining room," Lynch said.
It’s now the heart and soul of the space, where countless songs have been sung, endless plates of food have been served, and the beer has never stopped flowing.
See my walkthrough of the Dakota Inn Rathskeller with Paddy Lynch in the video below
Lynch tells me they hope to make use of as much of the space as they can going forward.
“For years, Karl did Oktoberfest. He did chili cook-offs. And hasn’t used the back yard as much in recent years and our whole goal is to use it again in a big way," Lynch said.
I also talked with the proprietor of the Dakota Inn's past – third-generation owner Karl Kurz.
“When I came into the business, it was rock bottom. I’ve seen a lot of change, to the positive, in just the last 38 years. I remember my dad telling me, you know, ‘I might not see it in my lifetime, but you’re going to see it in your lifetime.’ And I’m starting to see it, but I think there’s still a lot more that’s going to happen once this area starts booming," Kurz told us.
"I’m sure you’re proud of what you’ve preserved and accomplished in your time running the business," I said.
“I’ve done everything that I want to do. And I’m at a time right now when I’m so happy to be able to pass the baton because I would like to see the Dakota Inn go another 92 years," he said.
In addition to Lynch's day job running the funeral home, he has also taken over the iconic Schvitz on Oakland Ave., and Dutch Girl Donuts on Woodward.
I think you embody what a lot of Detroiters feel, which is this pride of place. And this desire to see it emerge better than it was before. Is that a part of your DNA?" I asked.
“It’s important to recognize the struggle. It’s also important to recognize the resilience. A lot of the places that I’m fortunate to sort of look after are places that in most ways have stood the test of time," Lynch said.
But why the Detroit icons he’s chosen? He says they’re all personal to him.
“The Schvitz represents in some ways my history of like, being able to take a break from funeral service and just unwind and sweat it out. And the Dakota’s the type of place you can come and have a drink with a friend and unwind. A donut is a little piece of joy for a couple minutes," Lynch said.
Hear more from my interview with Paddy Lynch in the video below
He tells me he thinks being a funeral director draws him to memories and nostalgia.
“To experience these places in person, you can feel the history," he said.
"A lot of people would look at the neighborhood and say like, ‘It’s seen better days. Do you see this as a risk?’ What do you say?" I asked.
"You know, I think that’s a fair question. I don’t see it through the lens of a risk because the Kurz family is a perfect example of being able to survive no matter the circumstances. You know, it’s not like this is something that’s been abandoned for 30 years, it hasn’t," Lynch said. "So I see the Dakota as in some ways the opposite of a risk. Because I feel so privileged to be able to take on so many years of good history and business."
When I asked him how he does it all, he credits the teams he already has in place and being able to bring them together.
"Sometimes I think it’s healthiest spiritually and psychologically to give everything you can to the things you have the control and you gotta do some letting go," Lynch said. "I think it's more of the lighthouse model. You know, do what you can, in the space that you have, let the good lord take care of the rest.”
As for long-term plans for his business, Lynch told me, “They were all here before I was born. I hope they’re all here after I’m gone.”
Lynch admits he thinks he's done acquiring businesses for a while because he says it’s more about quality over quantity.
