Q&A with Ferndale's food truck park and boozery, Detroit Fleat

On Friday, July 7, a new restaurant and bar concept debuted in metro Detroit. Dubbed Detroit Fleat, the self-described food truck park and boozery bridges the gap between traditional restaurants and food trucks. 
 
An indoor bar and dining area offer craft beers on tap and ample seating, as well as a more traditional day-in-day-out menu. An outdoor patio features a rotating cast of food trucks, each with their own specialties like falafel wraps, mac-and-cheese varieties, coffees, and much more. The food trucks rotate throughout the season, ensuring no lack of variety as the summer months wear on.

We asked co-founder Aaron Tye, himself an owner of the Delectabowl food truck, a few questions about his latest dining venture, Detroit Fleat.

If you were on vacation in a foreign land, how would you describe Detroit Fleat to a stranger at the bar?

Comfortable setting to dine with family and friends. We offer many different types of cuisine, which appeals to a large party. Our large bar selection will appeal to any crowd--young or seasoned.

How'd you get the idea for Detroit Fleat?

We own Delectabowl food truck and knew that to grow our own food truck business, we needed to find a permanent location. These food truck pods are very popular on the east coast, and we knew that this business idea would be welcomed in a supportive community like Ferndale.

Why food trucks?

Offers a variety of options.

What about the location attracted you to the area?

Again, the Ferndale community has been welcoming of food trucks. With Delectabowl we have built many relationships with the city and knew that we would have support. The location in metro Detroit is ideal as well--close to the freeway and a little bit off the beaten path of downtown, which allows free parking. We hope to be the neighborhood stop for our residents.

What makes Detroit Fleat special? How is it different from a parking lot full of food trucks?

We offer indoor and outdoor seating. A full bar which will highlight Michigan-made products, from breweries and distilleries, Faygo, Better made, and, on occasion, live music.

Detroit Fleat is located at 1820 E. Nine Mile Rd. in Ferndale.

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MJ Galbraith is a writer and musician living in Detroit. Follow him on Twitter @mikegalbraith.