New Greektown restaurant Friend & Associate closes, will reopen as Delmar

Less than two months after opening, new Greektown restaurant Friend & Associate has closed and is expected to re-emerge as a new concept called Delmar. 

Delmar is also the name of the new rooftop club above the restaurant and is said to be the original moniker of the historic building at the corner of Monroe and Beaubien.

The rooftop Delmar made its debut this summer with DJs, bottle service and a nearly 360-degree view of Greektown from the second floor of the building. Chef Chris Johnson of the Meeting House in Rochester and his partners opened Friend & Associate a few weeks later, but it closed to the public last weekend. 

Investor Patti Kukula said the team behind both concepts are responding to guests' request that there be "more Delmar," meaning more space that is similar to the rooftop club. She said in an email to The Detroit News that the former Friend & Associate space will be getting a design renovation that should take four weeks. 

When it reopens, it will also be called Delmar, and Johnson will launch a new menu with executive chef Jasmine Hughes. They want to offer a moderately priced lunch, plus brunch, a happy hour and a late night happy hour in the 4,600-square-foot dining room. 

This building, 501 Monroe in Detroit, was formerly Greek restaurant Santorini Estiatorio, which closed last fall. 

mbaetens@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @melodybatens