Downtown Mt Clemens is hopping, restaurants and retail move in

A new generation of stores are cropping up in downtown Mt. Clemens. The variety ranges from a golf store to a cigar shop to new restaurants.

"Mt Clemens is really starting to transition from a service-dominated downtown to a destination spot," says Arthur Mullen, executive director of the Mt. Clemens Downtown Development Authority. "We're really excited about it."

Of the eight new stores, three of them are set to open later this year. The other five have opened within the last couple of months. Among those that have opened is The Pro Golf Studio, which offers golf clubs, accessories and clothing for all types of golfers.  It occupied about 2,450 square feet at 61 Macomb Place.

Fiesta Joe’s joins over 30 other bars and restaurants in downtown but is the first Mexican restaurant in Downtown Mt. Clemens in several years. The restaurant is owned and operated by the Jolet family at 76 Macomb Place.

Vi Bratto Cigar Shop, 65 Macomb Place, is designed to buying and enjoying a good cigar much the same way someone would enjoy a cup of Joe at a coffee shop. It has a lounge with TVs and Internet access so patrons can enjoy a good cigar and interact with other customers. It also features a 135 square foot humidor that can hold up to 500 boxes of cigars.

Wine Sync hopes to open around Thanksgiving. The retail wine shop and tasting bar plans to provide high-quality wines without the high prices.

Mysteries of Light, named off a part of the Rosary, will sell Christian religious items for home decoration and jewelry.  The store, which features a large selection of Roman Catholic items, is approximately 75 percent religious with the rest of the inventory consisting of various gift items and collectibles.

Gibbons Bakery, 84 Macomb Place, recently reopened after being closed for several years. The traditional bakery has been a mainstay in Mt. Clemens for more than 50 years.

Blazin Bob's BBQ, 53 N Walnut St., is set to open later this year. The small eatery and take-out restaurant will provide excellent rib dinners, specialty sandwiches and traditional sides.

It joins Ruby Park Bar, which is also expected to open soon. The trendy bar will have two outdoor spaces to enjoy the warmer months. One of which is in a marble-lined sunken patio.

Source: Arthur Mullen, executive director of the Mt. Clemens Downtown Development Authority

Writer: Jon Zemke

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