Restaurant to Top Off Renaissance Center

DETROIT-Top-level dining is coming to the top of the Renaissance Center Downtown.

General Motors, which has its world headquarters in the six-tower complex, and Taubman Centers, which manages the retail areas of the center, say Michigan-based Unique Restaurant Corp. will open the Coach Insignia Restaurant on the 71st and 72nd floors of the Marriott Hotel at the Renaissance Center.

Coach Insignia will open in spring 2004 as part of Riverfront Shops, a collection of stores, restaurants and services in the GM Renaissance Center, Millender Center and River East Center (Towers 500 and 600).

“The addition of this premier restaurant will add to the excitement at the Ren Cen and in Downtown Detroit for our employees, tenants and visitors,” says Matthew P. Cullen, GM’s general manager, Economic Development and Enterprise Services.

URC President Matt Prentice says, “Coach Insignia is arguably Michigan’s most ambitious single restaurant project to date.”

On the 71st floor, the restaurant will offer a main dining room with seating for 200 and banquet room for 120. The 72nd floor will feature bar seating for 40 with Martini booths for 30 and two private dining rooms for eight and 14.

Recently opened retailers at the GM Renaissance Center include Nextel, Famous Famiglia, Gateway Newsstands, HotPop! and Maui Wowi. Gourmet Deli is currently in a temporary space in Tower 500. It will open its 3,000-sf permanent restaurant in River East enter in December.

Expected to open later this year are Clippers Hair Salon, Potbelly Sandwich Works, Public Service Credit Union, Checker Sedan, Best Cleaners and Asian Dynasty.

“With these additions we will have a total of 66 retailers operating in the Riverfront Shops, which continues to be the largest concentration of retail stores in Downtown Detroit,” Cullen says.