Popular Detroit Restaurant Opening New Store Inside Michigan Central

DETROIT — A new retail store is opening inside the Michigan Central Station later this month.

"Neighbor X Folk,"a sister business of Detroit’s James Beard-nominated restaurant Folk, is opening the new store in the former train station next Friday, Nov. 22.

The new store will feature "a curated selection of minority-owned and sustainably minded brands for the conscious consumer," such as gifts, home décor, books, and more.

It will also feature events, such as book signings and talks, workshops for cooking and crafting, food and drink samplings and more.

You can check out the list of events here.

"We believe that at the heart of every inspired community are its people, their passions, and their stories," Folk founder Rohani Foulkes said in a statement. "We’re honored to have such an historic platform as Michigan Central to create space for building connections, sharing knowledge, and inspiring creativity. We are thrilled to provide this platform for Detroit’s makers to share their craft, their culture, and their passions with our community."

Yellow Light Coffee and Donuts is also expected to open soon inside the station. The restaurant will be located immediately off the station’s east entrance. It will also offer take-out and dine-in options daily.

The train station officially reopened to the public earlier this summer. Officials with the train station said more than 167,000 people visited the station during the summer. The tours averaged 3,000 visitors on Fridays and 5,000 visitors on Saturdays.

After reopening the station in June, officials plan to reactivate the building with plans to add restaurants, retail and other commercial and community-focused partners to take up residency over the next several months and years.

Ford spent roughly a $1 billion to renovate the iconic train station, which was abandoned in 1988. Crews had to pump roughly 3.5 billion gallons of water out of the station, which took about 18 months. Officials then used photos and pieces of the station to recreate what the station looked like in its glory years.