A new bar designed to have a comfortable, living-room atmosphere is coming to Oak Park.
Hansen’s Hall is being built out at 8210 W. 9 Mile Road, the former Hansen’s Auto Services Center. (The name of the bar is an ode to the business.)
Co-owners Shawn Kelly and Janelle Anderson want the space to feel like an extension of your living room – casual, comfortable and friendly.
“Why do you go to your best friend’s house? He’s got a spot for you, the beer you like,” Kelly explained. “We will be that space… We’re doing it because we care about the neighborhood vibe, having a landing zone that you can be at without breaking the bank.”
Kelly and Anderson are no strangers to the industry, having worked in the bar scene for about 13 years.
Hansen’s Hall will be intertwined closely with the new Pie Sci Pizza carry-out location at 8140 W. Nine Mile Road; the two businesses are a hop, skip and a jump from each other.
“Pie Sci will be on our menu,” Kelly told What Now Detroit.
Customers will be encouraged to bring outside food into Hansen’s Hall, which will eventually have an outdoor patio and extensive seating (which will thankfully clear some space at the bar owners’ home; “We’ve had our bar top in our garage for three months, and all the chairs have been in our house the last few months as well,” Kelly said).
The menu will feature 15 taps, as well as mocktails to offer some family-friendly options.
Progress on the space continues, documented on the Hansen’s Hall Instagram page. Among the latest developments: The liquor license was recently approved, and the floor has been put in. They plan to open after Pie Sci Pizza does, which is expected to be this winter.
In the past, Oak Park has at times felt like an extension of Ferndale, Kelly told What Now Detroit. Now, the area is becoming a booming site for new businesses in its own right.
“That proximity to Pie Sci, working in tandem with them, gives us a cool moment to be a part of that regrowth,” Kelly said.
