A wine bar and store offering affordably-priced wines and small plates, called Royce Detroit, will open in June in the Kales Building in downtown Detroit.
Royce Detroit is founded by Ping Ho and her wife and Flint-native Angela Rutherford, both former New York City residents who moved to Detroit to open a wine shop and bar.
“We’re passionate about wine,” Ho says. “We believe wine is an everyday essential. We really feel that wine in itself embodies so much history, so much history of place, (and) of country. Wine is such a living commodity and it brings people together.”
Ho says Royce Detroit, to be located at 76 W. Adams Ave. near Grand Circus Park and Cliff Bell’s, will sell bottles of wine — mostly priced under $25 — and a small selection of home goods, such as cheeseboards, candles, and cutting boards.
“We plan to offer wine from all the major varietals from around the world,” she says. “At launch, we plan to have at least 300 types of wine from all over the world. It’s really (about) sourcing good quality wines at the everyday, affordable price.”
The 2,000-square-foot space will also offer a 12-seat bar and a mezzanine with lounge seating for an additional 16 seats for guests who want to stay and have a glass of wine or a small plate. Ho says menu offerings will include items that pair well with wine, such as cheeses, meats, charcuterie, and chocolate — “things that are easy to eat at the bar but also ultimately enhance the flavor of the wine.”
Ho and Rutherford are renovating the space, which will feature dark woods, along with industrial materials.
“We were inspired by the turn of the century, Art Deco era where Detroit was really at its apex,” Ho says.
Also in the Kales Building, Dearborn Heights-based Rusted Crow will open a bar and restaurant in April.
