A fine-dining restaurant with views of the riverfront from a local restaurant group is set to anchor the new Water Square 25-story glass building hotel project downtown on the former Joe Louis Arena site.
Metro Detroit’s Joe Vicari Restaurant Group and Water Square announced on Monday that an Andiamo Italian Chophouse will open as the signature restaurant inside the forthcoming JW Marriott Detroit Water Square.
Andiamo Italian Chophouse, according to a news release, is based on the group’s restaurants in Clinton Township and Fenton, called Andiamo Pasta & Chops, and its Andiamo Steakhouse in Las Vegas.
Described as a “high-end dining experience,” Andiamo Italian Chophouse expects to seat about 200 inside and feature floor-to-ceiling windows. During the warmer months, outdoor seating will be available along the riverwalk.
“Andiamo Italian Chophouse at Water Square will bring the signature hospitality and culinary excellence our guests expect,” said Joe Vicari, president of the Joe Vicari Restaurant Group. “This prime waterfront location is the perfect setting to showcase Andiamo’s tradition of fine Italian dining in the heart of downtown Detroit.”
In metro Detroit, the restaurant group operates Andiamo locations in Bloomfield, Livonia and Warren. Expected to close is the Andiamo in Detroit’s Renaissance Center. The RenCen closure follows General Motors’ leaving for downtown’s new Hudson’s Detroit on Woodward. The group also operates Joe Muer Seafood in the RenCen and Bloomfield Hills.
Family-owned and operated for more than four decades, the Joe Vicari Restaurant Group in 2023 ranked as the 22nd largest restaurant group in the United States by industry magazine Nation’s Restaurant News, with more than 20 locations.
Led by The Sterling Group, a Detroit-based real estate investment and development firm, the 600-room riverfront hotel that will house the anchor restaurant is under construction and is expected to open in 2027. The hotel is next to The Residences at Water Square, a 25-story luxury apartment building with nearly 500 units that opened in 2024 and features stunning views of the riverfront and the city.
As the first announced restaurant at Water Square, Danny Samson, chief development officer at Sterling Group, said in a news release that Andiamo’s “presence reinforces our commitment to making this district not only an economic catalyst for downtown Detroit, but also a place where people will come together for exceptional experiences.”
Water Square development is on the site where the Joe Louis Arena stood for decades, with access to Detroit’s highly acclaimed Riverwalk and the soon-to-open Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Centennial Park. It’s expected to be an area offering fine dining, entertainment and residential living.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Andiamo Italian Chophouse to anchor JW Marriott Detroit at former Joe Louis Arena site
Reporting by Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
