[nfbmi-talk] what tdo folks think of this?

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Pop-up vendors bring mix of lunchtime cuisines to downtown Detroit By Annabel Ames Detroit Free Press Special Writer They may not all be the Cadillacs of

metro Detroit's foodie scene, but the temporary restaurants open for business at Cadillac Square this summer are serving up affordable lunches for downtown

businesspeople and tourists. Six lime-green, 10-by-10-foot food booths, offering cuisines ranging from Mexican to Middle Eastern, have been set up in the

Cadillac Square/Campus Martius area. The pop-up vendors are open 11 a.m.-2 p.m. until Aug. 24 and change on a weekly basis to offer more variety. More

than 25 food trucks, restaurants and entrepreneurs submitted applications to the Downtown Detroit Partnership earlier in the year, and about a dozen were

chosen, said Bob Gregory, the senior vice president of the organization. We really wanted to look at how we could activate the Cadillac Square section

of the park, and food options were one way that we did that," said Gregory. People have great food options that, for some, you would have to travel far

to, and it's affordable pricing. It's been a huge success. The vendors are happy, and it exceeded our expectations. Diners may sit at tables set up in

Cadillac Square or across Woodward at Campus Martius Park. Others opt to take their lunch back to their offices. Gregory didn't have exact sales numbers

but said thousands of people have turned out. Live music and colorful umbrellas round out the fun. Business has remained steady for booths that serve lunch

to those wanting to break away from workplace cafeterias, said Cottage Inn pizza server Elexix Simpson, a Detroit native. It's relaxing. It's beautiful.

The people are really nice, and it's quick service," said Simpson. It's better to work down here when you're outside. Michigan Restaurant Association spokeswoman

Adriane DeCeuninck sees the positive, too. It's a great opportunity for them to expand their market, expand the number of people who know about them,"

she said of participating eateries. Richard Cherkasky, a 63-year-old interested in renovating a house in Midtown, stopped for lunch from Chef Cari's the

Spot kiosk with some friends. We eat a lot every day, and we go to a lot of restaurants," he said. It's been a positive experience being downtown, and

it's nice to be able to eat outside together. It's delightful. For Casey's New York Style Ice, though, the momentum has slowed a bit now that the novelty

of the restaurants has worn off. It's great to be a part of all of this new energy. Now, we have a vibrant downtown," said owner Darrick Casey. Business

has kind of died down, but we don't sell lunch (items). We got more business two weeks ago.