A Coffee shop is closing in Detroit, citing low occupancy in nearby office buildings

Coffee Down Under, an Aussie-inspired basement coffeeshop at Shelby and Congress in Detroit's Financial District, will be done on March 15. They had been open for four years.

From their social media post:

For some time now, a one-person operation has been all we can justify, but that has come with a bit too much unpredictability for the kind of reliable experience we strive to offer our guests.

While this chapter is coming to an end, we’re already working on ideas for what’s next—whether it’s a new concept in our space or the right partner to better suit the space and the evolving downtown landscape. If you have thoughts, we’d love to hear them!

The closure will not impact The Shelby, the bar next door.

I interviewed Coffee Down Under owner Tarun Kajeepeta for PBS Detroit at the start of 2023. He raised concerns then about the decline in office workers.

Of the three businesses I talked to for this piece, two are now gone from downtown. One left their retail space and consolidated at a building they own in Hamtramck, and the other restaurant is open — but has more limited hours and days than before COVID.

In a number of follow-up conversations, I've been told that the area seems to now have more foot traffic on weekends and evenings than during the day as more regional tourists spend time in downtown Detroit.