Toma comes to Corktown

What does being this year’s winner of the $50,000 prize in the Comerica Hatch Detroit Contest mean to Toma Detroit? “Winning it gives us a foot in the door...it gives us a chance to really get this project off the ground,” said Jose Maldonado, one of the restaurants four partners. “It’s an unbelievable feeling.” The money will go towards securing their liquor license that comes with the building – once home to Casey’s Pub at 1830 Michigan Avenue, Detroit – and beginning to build out the space, adding an additional 300-square-feet. While their original plan was to be in Mexicantown, they felt there weren’t any Latin restaurants in Corktown. “I feel like we’re bridging a cultural gap between the two neighborhoods,” he said. Toma Detroit is hoping for an opening by the end of 2019 and will be the first tequila bar in Detroit, but tequila isn’t all they’ll have. The restaurant plans on offering a menu full of Latin favorites – with a slight twist, along with a tasting room where they’ll be able to educate guests on tequila, agave, and mezcal.