Lowertown Cafe and Bar highlights a new space dedicated to celebrating and creating events within Northside.
When Lowertown opened in November 2023, their vision was to be the neighborhood space that they believed was desperately lacking in the Ann Arbor Northside, home to businesses like Northside Grill and Leslie Science & Nature Center.
According to Lowertown General Manager Dave Castleman, Founders Pete Baker, Hubert Raglan and Joe Bollinger initially developed the idea for the business during “pre-COVID” with ambitions of being a community-oriented space, regardless of the time of day.
“We want to serve everybody. The core demographic was the people who lived out here who needed something. We wanted to be that space for people.” Castleman later continued, “We wanted to engage with people that walk through the front door at their level.”
According to Castleman, who previously worked at a pan-Asian bar and restaurant, Pacific Rim, for eight years, he and the owners prioritized making this new culture possible by creating an atmosphere that allowed their workers to operate freely. They believed that energy would translate to any guest.
“Being managed with compassion, being treated like a human being, and doing everything within your ability as an owner or manager to create an environment where people want to come to work, they feel cared for at work, and that will then allow them to put their best foot forward. That was a big deal to us,” Castleman said. “We had a lot of conversations about the kind of culture we were trying to build. Those were the biggest things in terms of what we tried to bring.”
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With a well-lit interior, complete with sleek-crafted wooden tables stamped with QR codes for swift ordering, Lowertown’s menu offers a wide variety of items, such as its assortment of pastries and Hyperion coffee from its cafe, which runs from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. At 4 p.m., the menu switches to a bar selection, featuring over 40 items, including various cocktails, beers, wine and mocktails.
Castleman, who began working at the venue two months before their grand opening, explains that their menu items feature Michigan-made products in the cafe. Their bar innovations come from the bartender’s original creations or from customer input that makes its way on the menu.
“At night, we wanted a nice chill lounge vibe, where it was easy to be there. All you have to do is scan a QR code, and a drink shows up,” Castleman said. “It’s not about the people behind the bar. It’s about the people who sit at tables, center the energy, and focus on the people you are with. We are there to assist in that.”
Since opening, Castleman said the business has steadily evolved, with the cafe experimenting with ideas like QR code tables, designed to make ordering faster, and their latest venture of hosting events like trivia or programs with live DJ sets.
“You can show up with 10 or 15 people without a reservation. There is no other business like that here,” Castleman said. “People want a reason to go out. We wanted to have that lounge-like bar atmosphere for everyone to visit daily. What we are finding is that people also want more events. So we have been more focused on that.”
While Castleman said they are constantly working to make their business better and create a space readily available to serve their neighborhood, he said they simply want others to join in the fun.
“Come check us out, and watch our socials because we are becoming more event-focused,” Castleman said. “We want to be your space to have a good time, whether with a group of ten or by yourself reading a book. We have the space for you.”
Antonio Cooper is a freelance journalist from Detroit, Michigan. His coverage of music festivals and interviews with local celebrities appeared in The E-Current Magazine, The Detroit Metro Times, XXL Magazine, RichMagDigital, The Ann Arbor Observer, and Pop Magazine.
