Detroit – A popular bar in Detroit’s historic Cass Corridor is “pressing pause for the summer.” Willis Show Bar is temporarily closing its doors for the rest of the summer.
The cocktail bar made the announcement on its Facebook blaming rising operational costs as the reason behind its decision.
“This wasn’t a choice we made lightly. However, given rising operational costs and the seasonal lull in business that hits Detroit each summer, it’s clear now is the time to pause, reset, and focus on much-needed improvements for this historic music venue and cocktail bar,” the live entertainment venue said in a social media post.
The cocktail bar opened in 1949, during an era of cabarets, jazz clubs and prostitution that defined the historic neighborhood, until it first closed in 1978. It reopened in 2018 with the help of a group of Los Angeles-based hospitality veterans in partnership with the Detroit Optimist Society.
The space is located at 4156 3rd Ave, on the corner of Willis Street. The 3,000-square-foot space seats 113 people.
The post went on to say, “our hope is that we can return with a sustainable future — one that supports both the music and the community that have always been at the heart of this space."
It is not clear when the bar will reopen.