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Brilliant
‘Benchmark’

Sit On It Detroit brings benches and
mini-libraries to Detroit bus stops.

I

n Happy Days, the Fonz gleefully
told people to “sit on it” whenever
he needed a good comeback. But on
a searing summer day in Detroit, “sit
on it” means something very different
to the city’s bus riders: a relaxing bench
and mini-library provided by Sit On It
Detroit, a startup devoted to providing
commuters with seating and reading.
For Detroit’s cash-starved transit sys-
tem, having a place to sit is a luxury long
absent from the city’s bus stops. It’s a dif-
ferent kind of comeback.
The comparison between Fonzie and
Sit On It Detroit evokes laughter from
Charles Molnar. “People ask us about
that, but it didn’t cross our minds,” he
says.
Molnar attends Birmingham Temple
in Farmington Hills where he grew up
before moving to Detroit. He co-founded
Sit On It Detroit in 2013 with friend Kyle
Bartell, whom he met at Wayne State
University.
“We were both in the urban studies
program,” Molnar explains. “We stumbled
across this photo on the internet of a
bench attached to a pole. We thought,
‘That’s definitely doable.’ So we created
a seat with a 2 by 12 and a 4 by 4 and
mounted it to a bus stop pole on Cass and
Kirby.” He pauses, realizing how much
time has passed: “That was in May 2011.”
Today, the two friends have a show-
room at 71 Garfield St. in Midtown —
just a few blocks from their inaugural
bench. But three years ago, the duo was

competing for grant
money from Detroit
SOUP, a nonprofit din-
ner and fundraiser that
awards prize money to
People add their names and drawings to this very public Sit On It Detroit library bench.
creative projects aiming
to improve Detroit.
“We got a small grant
dren playing hide-and-seek.
from SOUP to do 10 more
“I remember driving down train
benches,” he says. “The problem with
tracks, looking in alleys, going anywhere
those benches, though, was that none of
we thought might have wood we could
us were engineers. People were standing
recycle,” Molnar recall. “Even today, if I
on them and they were breaking.”
see a 4 by 4 on the ground I throw it in
the truck.”
ADDING A LIBRARY
In three years, Sit On It Detroit
Doodling in a coffee shop one day,
has installed more than 70 benches
Molnar began redesigning their product.
in Detroit. In addition to community
“I sketched a little library beneath the
Sit On It Detroit founders Kyle Bartell and
benches, they build tabletops, bars and
bench, thinking people could donate
Charles Molnar
books to the benches. Kyle walked in and counters. Restaurants, companies and
individuals alike buy Sit On It Detroit
said, ‘What’s that?’ I said, ‘I think it’s the
products.
new and improved Sit On It bench.’ Kyle
Beyond local attention, Sit On It
“Some businesses want benches out-
said, ‘Let’s do it.’”
Detroit has garnered patronage from
side their stores by bus stops, or they’ll
There was still one problem: construc-
national companies such as Macy’s and
purchase advertising on benches,” Molnar Carhartt. Earlier this year, Macy’s funded
tion cost.
says. “Other places — like the University
“It was about $150 to build one bench.
seven benches around Detroit with local
of Michigan Detroit Center — use the
Then we remembered this place called
artists painting each before installation.
benches inside.”
Architectural Salvage Warehouse off
As large companies bring desirable
Though the benches are built at John
Warren and Grand River,” Molnar says,
jobs, light rails and sporting arenas to
R and Six Mile Road, Sit On It Detroit
remembering the days when reclaimed
Downtown, Sit On It Detroit demon-
opened its showroom in March 2016.
wood wasn’t as in vogue. “No one really
strates how anyone can make a positive
used old wood then. So when we showed The showroom features T-shirts, records, change — even an undergrad with no
local artwork and other decorations.
up they said, ‘Really? You want that
previous experience as a Jewish carpen-
wood? OK, give us $10 and take whatever For $350, a person can adopt a bench
ter.
for their neighborhood. The patron also
you want.”
receives a miniature replica of the bench
Molnar and Bartell still hunt for
For more information, visit www.sitonitdet.com or
as a token of appreciation.
reclaimed wood with the gusto of chil-
call Sit On It Detroit at (313) 961-1141.

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Martin Michalek | Special to the Jewish News

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26 November 17 • 2016