Another well-known Ann Arbor-based business is expanding into Downtown Detroit store.

M Den, a merchandise retailer for University of Michigan athletic apparel, is preparing to open a location along Columbia Street, where developers hope to create a "European-style, pedestrian-friendly promenade" attracting various dining and retail options.

The 4,000-square-foot space is on the first floor of the new nine-story Little Caesars headquarters, with a storefront for The M Den merchandise and another for The Victors Collection by The M Den.

The collection includes high-end accessories, golf and business casual apparel, the retailer said in a news release.

Ann Arbor-based restaurant Frita Batidos announced several weeks ago that the Cuban-style burger and milkshake restaurant will open a Detroit restaurant on the same street by 2019.

The new location will boost UM's presence in Detroit city, where the university originally opened 201 years ago, M Den co-owner Scott Hirth said in a news release.

"It was very important to us that the next round of investment was in the city of Detroit," Hirth said. "With the resurgence, we wanted The M Den and by extension, the University of Michigan, to put our stamp on Detroit."

The Detroit M Den shop will be the chain's seventh brick-and-mortar location and is expected to host signings with professional athletes, Hirth said. The shop will also feature brands like Nike/Jordan, Vineyard Vines, Brooks Brothers and Tommy Bahama.

The company began as a sporting goods shop in Ann Arbor in 1976 then switched its focus to UM goods. It became the university's official retailer in 1992.