Fort Street Galley, downtown Detroit's much-hyped food hall and self-described restaurant incubator is starting to look a little more like a restaurant breaker.

Following the premature departure of Mike Han's high-concept Korean-style sushi stall Pursue in May, neighboring Middleastern sandwich slinger Allenby announced on its Instagram Wednesday that it, too, will be leaving its stall at the end of June, as first reported by Eater Detroit.

"It's a great space and a great concept," Allenby co-owner Michael Goldberg said. "It's just not catching on. At this point we should be getting into a good groove and it's been the exact opposite."

Goldberg cited a number of issues that coalesced to create what became an untenable business environment, including a lack of foot traffic and parking, higher price points than what the lunchtime crowd was comfortable with, a general lack of awareness and a complexity in the concept that could overwhelm first-timers.

"It's just not sustainable for us," he said. "It's the wrong neighborhood for a concept like ours. People who work in this neighborhood don't necessarily care about high-quality food. Our prices were too high. And our food is a little confusing. I understand it, but I haven't done a great job translating."

Goldberg also cited a lack of awareness about the Fort Street Galley, which doesn't appear to be catching on like the Pittsburgh-based Galley Group's food halls in other markets.

“We are strong believers in Allenby and enjoyed working with them, but mutually decided this decision was best for both concepts," said Galley Group CEO and co-founder Ben Mantica in a statement. "We wish their team all the best.”

Allenby was chosen after rounds of competition that narrowed down more than 60 concepts to the winning four vendors. The food hall made its debut on the ground floor of the Federal Reserve Building at the corner of Fort and Shelby in early December.

Goldberg said that following the long, brutal winter, everyone was hoping traffic would pick up as the weather broke, but that hasn't been the case.

"We didn't come into this with a year's worth of money to operate until it caught on," he said.

Unlike other food hall operators who conduct business like landlords, the Galley Group charges vendors a flat 30% take of the revenue while covering most of their business expenses.

"It's a good model," he said, "but the sales have just not been there to support it. I think Detroit's becoming a tough market to penetrate. There's a lot going on."

He said he gradually simplified the menu and cut staff to try to lower operating costs and didn't draw a paycheck himself for a stretch. It's now just him and business partner Katie Nelson doing everything, though a friend comes to help out on busier weekends.

About a month ago, the partners made the decision to pull the plug. And even though vendors sign one-year contracts, Goldberg said Galley Group allowed them to leave the space without penalty as long as they granted a 45-day notice.

"It's been a good opportunity," he said. "We learned a lot. And I'm really proud of the food we made. It's been the most personal food I've ever cooked."

Allenby's last day will be June 29.

The space will be filled at least temporarily by Michigan & Trumbull, a Detroit-style pizza restaurant from a pair of Michigan natives that got its start in Galley Group's Pittsburgh food hall. Michigan & Trumbull is currently building out a standalone brick-and-mortar restaurant in Corktown.

In addition to Allenby and Pursue, Fort Street Galley also recently lost its beverage director Marlowe Johnson, who decamped to lead the bar program at Flowers of Vietnam.

Send your dining tips to Free Press Restaurant Critic Mark Kurlyandchik at 313-222-5026 ormkurlyandc@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @MKurlyandchik and Instagram @curlyhandshake. Read more restaurant news and reviews and sign up for our Food and Dining newsletter.