Café missing from five consecutive readings of the city's open data since Aug. 28
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Overview
Updated 1 hour agoA small Detroit café has disappeared from the city's public list of active food establishments. Sips on Six at 7512 W McNichols Rd was on the list on Aug. 28; it has been missing from five consecutive readings since, including the latest on Aug. 31.
The city publishes no reason for the change, so this is an indication, not a confirmation. A license can lapse because a business closed, didn't renew, was suspended, or moved. Until a new entry appears, the café cannot legally sell food or drink in Detroit.
Why it matters
If the license isn't renewed, the café cannot legally sell food or drink, and Detroit's McNichols Road corridor loses one more small business.
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Organizations Involved
Small café and bar at 7512 W McNichols Rd in northwest Detroit.
Municipal government that maintains Detroit's active food establishment license list.
Timeline
April 2026 August 2026
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Sips on Six missing from fifth consecutive reading
Today Current EventThe café no longer appears on Detroit's active food establishment license dataset.
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Last reading includes Sips on Six
ObservationThe most recent reading of the active list still contains the café.
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Sips on Six appears on Detroit's active license list
ObservationThe café is listed among active food establishments in the city's public dataset.
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Customer review describes a quiet day party
ReviewA customer posts a review saying the café's Saturday day party was nearly empty.
Historical Context
2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.
Baker's Keyboard Lounge (2018)
Baker's Keyboard Lounge, often called the world's oldest jazz club, closed at 20510 Livernois after more than 80 years. The club had hosted musicians including Miles Davis and John Coltrane.
The closing drew an outpouring from fans and local musicians.
New operators later acquired the property and reopened the club under the same name.
Even a storied Detroit venue closed and then returned. A lapsed license is not the same as a permanent shutdown.
Michigan's COVID-19 dining shutdown (2020)
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer ordered bars and restaurants to stop in-person dining on March 16, 2020. Many Detroit establishments closed for months, and some never reopened.
Detroit's restaurant scene saw waves of temporary closures; some became permanent.
The episode made clear that a license's absence from a public list can be a pause, not a death certificate.
Sips on Six's absence from the list could similarly be temporary or permanent.
