New coffee bar for Corktown

Former Zingerman's Delicatessen managing partner Todd Wickstrom is teaming up with Phillip Cooley, co-owner of Slows Bar BQ, to open Mercury Coffee Bar in Detroit's Corktown area by early summer.

Located at 2163 Michigan Ave., across the street from Slows, the 50-seat restaurant will have an in-house bakery on the first floor and a main dining area on the second. It will offer coffees, moderately priced pastries, and sandwiches, ranging from $7 to $8, made with ingredients grown in Detroit.

By using locally grown products, Wickstrom said he hopes to boost the local farming community. The pair also planted 40 pounds of garlic in an urban garden just south of I-94.

Cooley and Wickstrom began renovating their 3,000-square-foot, leased building in January. They estimate that renovation costs will total about $200,000.

Cooley initially was hired by Wickstrom as a designer through his general contracting firm, Los Pistoleros, but became a minority partner after Wickstrom realized Cooley's knowledge of Detroit restaurant operations.

Cooley was equally impressed with Wickstrom.

“Todd has years of experience and a wonderfully socially conscious mind. His past has been about quality, and we have an opportunity to bring quality at a different kind of value,” Cooley said.

Wickstrom was with Zingerman's in Ann Arbor from 2001 through 2005. He said his time there taught him what it takes to be successful.

“I learned a lot about the restaurant business at Zingerman's,” Wickstrom said. “I did everything from busing tables to ordering balsamic vinaigrettes from Italy.”

Wickstrom also co-founded New York-based Heritage Foods USA in 2001. The food broker helps small farmers sell their goods to restaurants and stores across the U.S., including Bastone in Royal Oak and Bower's Harbor Inn in Traverse City.

Both Cooley and Wickstrom recognize the importance of keeping their revenue in the city of Detroit.

“The question is: How do we get the money from the front door to stay in the city?” Wickstrom said. “In that sense, we are the antithesis of Starbucks. All the money they earn goes to the corporation or another city.”