Cuban-inspired street food 
restaurant Frita Batidos opened 
in Detroit Wednesday, marking 
their second location since the 
restaurant opened in Ann Arbor 
in 2010. Located downtown, the 
business is situated between the 
Fox Theatre and the Fillmore 
on West Columbia Street. Frita 
Batidos is the first of many 
businesses expected to open 
in the new Columbia Street 
development in District Detroit 
in the near future.
The 
restaurant’s 
“fritas,” 
Cuban-style burgers and fries, 
and “batidos,” tropical fruit 
milkshakes, 
have 
garnered 
love and appreciation from 
University of Michigan students, 
some of whom were excited to 
hear about the new location in 

downtown Detroit.
LSA senior Peyton Sternfeld 
grew up in metro Detroit and 
recounted hearing about the new 
location from her mother, who 
saw the announcement in their 
local paper. Sternfeld praised 
the restaurant for its ability to 
accommodate her food allergies 
and expressed her excitement 
about the introduction of Frita 
Batidos to Detroit.
“I think it’s great that (Frita 
Batidos is) expanding. … There’s 
so many fun and new restaurants 
coming up in Detroit,” Sternfeld 
said. Frita Batidos is “affordable 
and it’s great for most people 
to have a fun, different food 
option.”
Frita Batidos is known for 
its customizable options, and 
the Detroit location will be 
no different. From black bean 

burgers topped with fried eggs 
and avocado spread to churros 
dusted with cinnamon and 
sugar, the menu in Detroit will 
be similar to the Ann Arbor 
original. Detroit’s location also 
boasts a full bar and seasonal 
drink options for customers.
Eve Aronoff is the chef and 
owner of Frita Batidos and 
came up with the idea for the 
Cuban-infused restaurant based 
on her childhood experiences 
visiting her grandmother in 
Miami, as well as her love for the 
Latinx culture. Frita Batidos’s 
Detroit location opened after 
almost a decade of high demand 
and praises from the local 
community.
Aronoff noted the positive 
customer reception of the new 
location’s opening thus far, 
especially because of the Detroit 
natives who now feel like 
Frita Batidos is closer to 
home.
“It’s going great and 
better than we could have 
imagined, just super warm 
reception from people in 
the neighborhood, and the 
city, and people coming out 
from Ann Arbor,” Aronoff 
said. “We didn’t realize how 
many people used to come to 
Ann Arbor from Detroit that 
now are really happy that 
we’re closer to them, so that 
felt really good.”
Business 
sophomore 
Owen 
Hill 
noted 
that 
because the restaurant does 
not solely imitate Cuban 
cuisine, 
there 
is 
more 
opportunity for Aronoff and 
her team to try out different 
recipes and create unique 
dishes for patrons.
“It’ll be a completely 
different vibe in Detroit, 
obviously, because of the 
location, but also because 
it’s not taken from another 
culture 
concretely 
and 
moved here,” Hill said. “It’s 

just the creator’s imagination, 
which opens up a lot of different 
avenues for her to go down when 
you open it in Detroit.”
In 
its 
nine 
years, 
Frita 
Batidos has gained national 
recognition 
and 
earned 
its 
place as Ann Arbor’s go-to 
spot, receiving glowing reviews 
from 
publications 
including 
The New York Times, National 
Geographic and USA Today. The 
Daily has named Frita Batidos 
the “Best Burger” in their annual 
“Best of Ann Arbor” series every 
year since 2014. 
Aronoff 
and 
her 
team 
gravitated toward opening a 
location in Detroit “because of 
the unique character and energy 
of the city — not just in recent 
years, but through its rich and 
complex history” according to 
the restaurant website. Over 
the past four years, the Frita 
Batidos team came close to 
opening locations in Detroit, but 
ultimately signed their lease for 
the Columbia Street location a 
year and a half ago. 
LSA sophomore Courtney 
Fortin also noted the advantages 
of bringing Frita Batidos to 
Detroit as the city continues 
to develop and establish new 
homes and businesses. Fortin 
also 
explained 
that 
while 
young people go to Detroit for 
a sporting event or concert, 
they will be drawn to a unique 
restaurant 
atmosphere 
as 
opposed 
to 
typical 
chain 
restaurants.
“It’s good to have a cultural 
identity 
for 
a 
restaurant, 
and then put it in a place like 
Detroit,” Fortin said. “A lot of 
people go to Detroit to eat, and 
they don’t want to see a bunch 
of chain restaurants … I feel like 
Detroit is the right environment 
for (Frita Batidos) to be in.”

2A — Friday, October 4, 2019
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
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Popular burger joint Frita Batidos 
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