katoi: DETROIT
SUMMARY:
Conversion of a 2,100 Auto Garage that was three walls with no roof into restaurant. Completed March 2016.
OVERVIEW:
In October 2013, after approximately ten visits over the span of a year, Prince Concepts purchased its first building in Detroit - 2520 Michigan Avenue. When acquired, the building was simply three walls and half a roof. Prince Concepts began renovating the building and along the way met CV Henriette and Brad Greenhill, the team behind Detroit's beloved KATOI food truck; they joined forces to open KATOI - a full-fledged Thai-inspired restaurant and bar - in the building. Prince Concepts worked closely with Ish Rafiuddin, a good friend and the Principal of UNDECORATED, to convert the garage from its previous condition into what is featured above. Also featured is a photo of the garage from 1991 when it served as Willie's Garage, and two photos of the building from the day it was purchased in 2013. Katoi v1 was open from March 2016 until February 2017; during those eleven months, KATOI was honored with numerous accolades including: Restaurant of the Year, Detroit Free Press; 12 Best New Restaurants in America, 2016, Thrillist; and was nominated as a semi-finalist for the James Beard "Best New Restaurant(National)" award in 2017.