Blink and you might miss it — the main outdoor identifier for this place is a red neon sign that simply reads “COCKTAILS.” But head on up to the second floor and you’ll find Pocket Change, a brand-new cocktail bar located just across Gratiot from Eastern Market.
The concept comes from bar professional Nelson Kazan, whose 10-year tenure in Detroit’s bar scene includes mixing it up at Flowers of Vietnam, the Apparatus Room, the now-closed Republic Tavern, and Hour Detroit’s 2020 Restaurant of the Year SheWolf Pastifico and Bar.
“I wanted to create a fun, upbeat bar where you can mingle, go on a date, meet friends, or connect with new people, all while enjoying a quality drink without having to wait for a table,” Kazan said in a press release. “We’re all about a free-flowing, energetic environment driven by great music and great drinks.”
The dimly lit, 1,200-square-foot interior can seat just 49, and draws inspiration from “lively cocktail culture of New York City nightlife” as well as “Japanese hi-fi bars and mid-century modern sophistication,” according to the release. The third-floor patio overlooks Eastern Market.
Kazan collaborated on the design with local designer Colin Tury of Tury Design, whose eye has lent lots of personality to local restaurants like the nearby Supino Pizzeria in Eastern Market; and the much-acclaimed Mexican eatery Vecino.
On the menu, guests will find libation creations like the Bingo Bango, a spicy tequila cocktail — plus tried-and-true classics and a frequently rotating wine list with selections from Italy, France, Slovenia, and Austria (and most bottles are $60 or under).
Located just a few doors down from Peoples Records and Trinosophes, Pocket Change occupies the space that once housed Collect Beer Bar, which moved to Detroit’s east side last summer.
“Collect was beloved by the community, and I’m thrilled they moved to a larger space,” said Kazan in the release. “It was so iconic that with Pocket Change we wanted to create a completely different concept: dark, sexy, and built for a good time. It’s exactly the kind of bar I’ve always wanted to create.”
Kazan’s business partners on this venture are brothers Kris and Fred Lelcaj (their sister Sava Lelcaj Farah is another notable Ann Arbor restaurateur). Kris owns Babo Detroit in Midtown, while Fred once ran Fred’s — a café in Ann Arbor, which was later rebranded as Wilma’s before closing in 2020 amid the pandemic. The Lelcaj brothers say they hope to eventually open a Fred’s revival of sorts in the ground-level space below Pocket Change, which once housed Bunny Bunny.
The bar hopes to regularly host pop-ups on Sundays, and recently featured one from husband-and-wife chefs Sarah Welch and Cameron Rolka of Mink.
Pocket Change is located at 1454 Gratiot Avenue, Detroit. Its current hours are Thursdays 7 p.m. to midnight, Fridays and Saturdays from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m., and Sundays from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. For more information, visit pocketchangedetroit.com.
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