ABOUT THE GRAND PORTERNot too long ago, The Grand Porter was just an empty basement—an unfinished space beneath a restored 19th-century mansion in Midtown Detroit. The upstairs had been brought back to life years earlier, but the basement sat untouched, waiting for an idea.
That idea came in 2022 when Reimer Priester, a long-aspiring café and bar owner, saw potential in the space. It started simply—a cozy, underground coffee spot. Then the vision grew. A bit of a French influence crept in. Then cocktails. Then bagels. Some of it made perfect sense, some of it less so, but all of it felt right.
With backing from Invest Detroit, guidance from Coffeehouse, and no prior experience actually running a café, Reimer set out to make it happen. His wife, Becca Priester, led the charge on design, turning the blank basement into a warm, inviting space. A few months before opening, Joel Jones joined the team, bringing his deep knowledge of coffee and cocktails to refine and execute the vision.