Ford’s Garage, the 1920s-inspired garage-themed restaurant that serves burgers and other comfort food, is coming to Utica, north of Detroit.
Downs’ Director of Hospitality and Training, Amanda Yeager, told What Now Detroit that it will open in June, though she would not announce a set date.
Thanks to a licensing deal between the car manufacturer and the company, the restaurant locations have Ford memorabilia and other vintage decorations. This will be the third location in Michigan, with two others in Novi and Dearborn. The newest spot will be at 12575 Hall Road, which used to house a Buca di Beppo, and is thanks to a development agreement between the Downs Group and Ford’s Garage.
“We are thrilled to celebrate this momentous occasion as we prepare to open our third location in Michigan,” Billy Downs, president of Ford’s Garage, wrote in a news release, the Detroit Free Press reported. “We can’t wait to expand our reach to the dynamic Utica community and establish ourselves as a local favorite.”
Billy Downs became a franchise owner in the Detroit Metro Area in 2015, opened the location in Dearborn in 2017 and also made plans for four more locations in the area, according to the Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association. He then opened the next location in Novi.
According to a news release from Ford’s Garage, he was tapped as president of the company in 2024, but will continue managing his Detroit franchise while serving as president.
[Editor’s Note: This story has been updated with additional information from the Downs Group.]
