Fountain Bistro in Detroit will close; new restaurant to open in summer

Facebook/Fountain Bistro

Popular Detroit restaurant Fountain Bistro has been sold, and will close its doors next week.

 “Fountain Bistro has been a very popular dining and special gathering place in the heart of the city,” said Robert Gregory, president, Detroit 300 Conservancy. “With its stunning city and park views, residents, downtown workers and visitors from the region and afar have made it one of the must see places to visit in Detroit. We are pleased and excited that as downtown Detroit’s development accelerates, the dining options in the park for all visitors will not only keep pace, but will be enhanced with the new restaurant and the other related food and beverage outlets.” 

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The new restaurant will be owned by 800 Parc, LLC, a joint venture between Zaid Elia of The Elia Group and Matthew Shiffman of Centerpoint Ventures. Elia is a co-owner of 220 Merrill, a unique restaurant specializing in American cuisine in downtown Birmingham. 

“The investment in this showcase location represents a long-term commitment by The Elia Group and Centerpoint Ventures in the resurgence of Detroit as a world-class destination for visitors and residents,” said Elia, CEO of The Elia Group. "Campus Martius Park receives more than two million visitors and hosts 900-plus events each year, and we’re thrilled to be at the epicenter of this energy and growth.” 

In a statement, Fountain Bistro owners, John Lambrecht, Kevin Morin and Matt Morin, said “Seeing Detroit grow and being part of it firsthand has been a great experience. When we started Fountain Bistro, we had dreams of the restaurant and the park becoming the most loved gathering place in Detroit. It was a wonderful place before we got involved, but the progress in the last several years has really made it the most incredible place to hang out in the city. Detroit 300 Conservancy, the many generous sponsors of the park, and Fountain Bistro have all helped to make that a reality. We are thankful to have been involved and excited to see the finished concept that The Elia Group and Centerpoint Ventures has envisioned.”

The restaurant will undergo several months of renovations, which will include a new interior design theme, the permanent enclosure of the current outside patio, new window system to allow for open air dining, larger kitchen, and new floor, ceiling and bar.

The new restaurant is anticipated to open in late summer 2016 and will operate seven days a week with similar lunch and dinner hours to the current restaurant.


Renovations, upgrades and new offerings to the other food and beverage outlets in the park are also planned, beginning with the Beach Bar and Grill scheduled for its seasonal reopening on May 5 of this year.

While the main restaurant building is closed, the beach outlet will have an expanded menu for lunch and after work food options.