With a palate developed through fine-dining experiences in Miami and New York, and finding himself somewhat flush after a few short years in the solar energy brokerage business in the Big Apple, Jeremy Sasson returned to Detroit in 2010 and started his first restaurant, Townhouse Birmingham. It was just after the Great Recession.
Sasson took the unique view that brokerage services and hospitality were “very different but very similar at the same time,” he says. Namely, both are about people. He also viewed the local restaurant scene as being less mature than most people thought.
He was 25 when he launched Townhouse Birmingham, the neighborhood bistro located at 180 Pierce St. The formula emphasized comfort food, in combination with culinary technique and prompt service. Since then, his restaurant company, Heirloom Hospitality, has added four more restaurants.
“The brands evolved as Detroit became a destination for us as a restaurant group,” Sasson says. Today, the company operates Prime + Proper, a fine-dining steakhouse, and the Cash Only Supper Club, both in the Griswold Lofts Building in Capitol Park. Townhouse Detroit offers modern American cuisine in an elegant setting at 500 Woodward Ave. The fifth restaurant, Mad Nice, at 4120 2nd Ave. in Midtown, features contemporary Italian cuisine in a Mid-century Modern setting.
Sasson, who grew up in Bloomfield Hills, says he doesn’t see himself in the restaurant business, per se. “Our differentiator, our special sauce if you will, is that we’re fanatic about cultivating relationships with all who we touch, whether that’s our guests, our vendors, our community, or our team members.” The idea is to make people feel good, thereby creating great experiences and memories.
“That’s where the hospitality part comes in,” he reveals.
During the recent NFL Draft in downtown Detroit, Sasson’s reservation book was filled with private curations and dining-room buyouts. In this sense, Heirloom Hospitality is banking on establishing relationships with organizations and companies from out of town.
Sasson says the guests included “some of who you would imagine are the usual suspects to the NFL — certain teams, sports agencies, branding organizations, and other sponsorships.”
Now, Sasson reveals that a new metro Detroit project has been signed. “We haven’t announced it yet, but it looks like a late ’24, early ’25 development for us and hopefully all things continue to progress in the right direction to get that online here.” There are also restaurant projects he’s working on in several locations in Florida — Miami, Delray Beach, and Palm Beach.
In the longer run, differentiators such as “enlightened hospitality” can translate to other formats besides restaurants. “Hotels and real estate are probably the next move, and those are the biggest targets on our radar at the moment.”
