Detroit Shipping Company, located in Midtown Detroit at 474 Peterboro Street, began as a casual concept and has grown into one of the city’s most recognizable food halls. Built from repurposed shipping containers, the multi-level venue brings together independently operated restaurants, bars, event spaces, and art installations under one roof. What began as a loosely sketched concept between longtime friends has since become a year-round business that draws a wide mix of customers from across the city and beyond.
Founding partner James Therkalsen did not come from a hospitality background, nor did he originally set out to open a restaurant or food hall. “Jon and I grew up across the street from one another and started a painting company together after college,” Therkalsen tells What Now in an exclusive interview. While his partner, Jonathan Hartzell, moved into development and Therkalsen into a full-time marketing career, the two shared a desire to build something meaningful in Detroit. “We had wanted to build something together, specifically something in Detroit to help contribute to the city’s comeback,” he says. “It was more of a pipe-dream than a plan to own a business.”
The concept for Detroit Shipping Company came together in a familiar way. “This is a classic back-of-the-napkin-sketch-over-beers story,” Therkalsen explains. The original vision was simple: a couple of shipping containers serving as bars, food trucks parked nearby, and picnic tables creating an open-air beer garden. As the idea moved closer to reality, outside forces reshaped it. Zoning requirements, financing limitations, and lender expectations pushed the project toward a fully weatherized, permanent structure. The scope grew quickly, along with the cost and complexity, turning a seasonal idea into a year-round operation.
After an initial plan to build in Corktown fell through, the search for the right location expanded across the city. The eventual home on Peterboro Street made sense for several reasons. “We ended up choosing the Peterboro location because it was close to Masonic and LCA, and it seemed to be in a section of midtown that would quickly develop,” Therkalsen says. The ability to acquire multiple adjacent lots also allowed the team to build at the scale the project required. Today, the location sits between major cultural, academic, and entertainment anchors, helping attract a steady, diverse crowd.
Detroit Shipping Company opened without its founders having prior hospitality experience, which shaped the early years. “Up and down,” Therkalsen says when asked how things have gone since opening. “Neither of us came from the hospitality industry, and we both have full-time jobs, so the learning curve has been steep.” The first two years were strong but chaotic, followed by the unexpected disruption of COVID. Since then, the business has settled into a rhythm. Summers perform well, winters remain challenging, and programming helps keep the space active year-round.
The most difficult part of opening the business, according to Therkalsen, came long before customers ever walked through the doors. “Time and money,” he says. “It takes twice as long and costs twice as much as you think.” Building a structure out of shipping containers brought its own complications, stretching timelines and nearly doubling the original budget. Those hurdles were compounded by the challenge of setting up operations in an industry neither founder had worked in before.
Despite the obstacles, the payoff has been significant. “Taking something that was an idea and watching it become real” stands out as the most rewarding part, Therkalsen says. From watching cranes stack containers in winter to employing around 50 people today, the transformation still resonates. The venue has hosted weddings, charity events, and large gatherings, gradually becoming a place where people come together. “Seeing what started on a napkin operating seven years later, with tens of thousands of people coming through each year, is pretty rewarding,” he says.
Today, Detroit Shipping Company features six independently operated food vendors serving global street food, two full bars with rotating draft and canned beer selections, and multiple event and gallery spaces. Live music, comedy shows, sports viewing, and private events are regular fixtures. While the focus remains on Detroit, the concept has already expanded once with a second food hall in Lansing, based on the same model.
Looking ahead, Therkalsen says conversations are underway about broader development around the Midtown site, including potential residential, retail, and office components. For now, the focus remains on maintaining the original concept’s strength and vitality. “We draw a crazy, diverse crowd, always have interesting programming going on, and have great restaurant partners,” he says.
Seven years in, Detroit Shipping Company stands as proof that an idea does not need to start polished to succeed. With persistence, adaptation, and patience, a casual conversation turned into a lasting part of Detroit’s social fabric.
