Delaware North and its partners at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit recently announced two new restaurant concepts set to debut at the award-winning venue in the heart of The District Detroit, the entertainment district that surrounds the home of the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings and the NBA’s Detroit Pistons.
The two concepts – The Mixing Board and PointsBet Sports Bar – were developed for spaces previously occupied by year-round restaurants, each with a street-side entrance for event and non-event days. The restaurants are currently open for Red Wings and Pistons home games, and concerts and shows, with extended hours of operation to be announced.
“We work closely with Olympia Entertainment to continuously examine every aspect of the fan experience,” said Tim Martin, general manager for Delaware North at Little Caesars Arena. “Between focus groups with guests, fan surveys and other forms of feedback – we knew there was an opportunity to take everything we’ve heard and create something special.”
Every element of The Mixing Board was carefully curated to showcase the uniqueness of Detroit. The full-service restaurant, which includes a stage for live music and spokenword artists, features locally sourced ingredients and offerings unique to the region, along with décor that pays homage to the city’s rich automotive, musical and industrial history.
The Mixing Board menu includes starters, salads, sandwiches, flatbread pizzas, sharables, desserts, craft cocktails and craft beer – all with a decidedly local twist. Both individual and shared items are uniquely presented and served on custom wooden boards, which were created special for The Mixing Board menu.
“When developing the concept for The Mixing Board, we initially built around two key focus areas: community involvement and a Michigan-first menu,” Martin said. “This is a venue for local artists to share their work – a place where the community comes together. And when we began testing service styles, one thing that jumped out to us was the use of custom wooden boards to serve meals. There is a real communal feel about it – especially for the sharable portion of our menu – and it’s something we immediately gravitated toward.”
The Red Wings earlier this year announced a partnership with global sportsbook operator PointsBet. As part of that agreement, the space formerly occupied by Sports & Social Detroit has been rebranded as the PointsBet Sports Bar.
The full-service restaurant, now operated by Delaware North, features betting themed pub fare, 28 televisions, special guests, unique programing, VIP access and gaming promotions. Select televisions throughout the PointsBet Sports Bar also offer integrated live odds, giving real time updates for fans as they monitor their favorite teams while placing bets.
Delaware North – the primary foodservice and retail partner at Little Caesars Arena since it opened in 2017 – is also now operating Mike’s Pizza Bar, which had previously been managed by Olympia Entertainment. Serving craft beer and pizza by the slice, this unique experience gives a nod to Mike Ilitch’s entrepreneurial roots and first pizza experience that ultimately led to the founding of Little Caesars, the world’s largest carry-out pizza chain.
Mike’s Pizza Bar will continue serving artisanal pizzas, Detroit-style deep-dish pizza, sandwiches, grinders, salads and desserts, along with craft beer, wine and spiked seltzers.