Mark Kurlyandchik

Detroit Free Press

Two years ago, Café Muse chef-owner Greg Reyner announced plans for a new restaurant in Detroit's West Village neighborhood, not far from what was then the brand-new Sister Pie.

Reyner was hoping to open Geiger Eat Shop — a tribute to his grandmother and similar in style to his Royal Oak restaurant — by April 2016. But as a partner in Atomic Chicken, Reyner found himself too busy opening outposts of that fast-casual concept in Clawson and, most recently, in Detroit's New Center area, to focus on Geiger.

"I realized I couldn't necessarily do this on my own, and I wanted to bring a partner in," Reyner said.

In the meantime, Ping Ho, co- owner and wine director at the Royce wine bar, which opened in Detroit's Grand Circus Park area in August 2016, contemplated a new restaurant project inspired in part by April Bloomfield's White Gold Butchers in New York City.

Ho, whose bar doubles as a wine shop, saw a need for a neighborhood butcher shop and restaurant that focused on locally sourced, sustainable meat.

In February, the two friends decided to work together, re-imagining what would've been Geiger Eat Shop as Marrow: two parts nose-to-tail restaurant, one part local butcher shop. With two separate bays that had been fused together, the space at 8044 Kercheval proved a great fit for the hybrid concept.

All that was missing was a chef to run it. (Despite his culinary background, Reyner said he never intended to be the chef of the West Village restaurant.)

The missing piece didn't take long to find. Just a few weeks after Ho and Reyner began working together, chef Sarah Welch announced her departure from Republic Tavern, an Old World-style restaurant focusing on nose-to-tail butchery and local, sustainable meat. Welch had also previously interned for Bloomfield.

The partners reached out to the young chef, who was actively looking to make her next move.

"Just like a puzzle, all the pieces fit perfectly," Reyner said.

Now the team is finalizing design plans and is in the process of hiring a head butcher to run that end of the operation, in anticipation of a late-2017 opening.

"The vision for Marrow is really about knowing where your food comes from," Ho said, describing the concept as a European boucherie where guests can come and meet the butcher and learn about the provenance of the offerings. There will also be some complementary retail items, like beer and wine to go, as well as whole rotisserie chickens.

The walk-in cooler will be glass-paneled, giving guests a clear view of hanging carcasses and charcuterie.

During the day, the butcher shop will also serve as a deli-inspired lunch counter, and transform into a bar and waiting area for evening dinner service in the attached restaurant.

The dinner menu will be small and seasonal, likely split into snacks, and a few small and large plates.

In terms of style, Welch said she's not interested in rehashing her time at Republic.

"I really don't want to do what we did at Republic, which is cast our identity as meat-centric," she said, adding that vegetables will not be an afterthought and the price point will aim for affordability.

"We're trying to make it price-approachable so people can eat here three times a week," Welch said.

For their part, Ho and Reyner are providing high-level oversight but want the chef to guide the menu and direction of the restaurant.

"We really see this as a great vehicle for a young and talented chef to take it into her own direction," Ho said.

It's too early for menu details, but Welch said she wants to keep it tight — 15 or fewer items, plus house-made charcuterie, imported cheeses and other bar snacks. A chef's tasting menu is also in the cards.

The partners are in the process of securing a liquor license, but with Ho attached, expect a wine-forward beverage program.

The brick-walled, 2,300-square-foot space will seat between 100 and 120 people when it's all built out, including spots on the planned outdoor patio and in the basement-level private dining area. The main dining room will seat between 40 and 50 people.

A former party store that had been abandoned for decades when Geiger first signed the lease, the building is now ready for new life after extensive work. (A pop-up outpost of Metropolis Cycles is currently working out of one of the bays.)

If all goes well — a big "if" in this business — Marrow will begin serving customers in time for the holiday season.

Until then, Welch has signed a six-month contract with Hamtramck's Revolver, a ticketed restaurant that features rotating guest chefs every weekend. Revolver proprietor Peter Dalinowski is busy launching his new Frame concept in Hazel Park, so Welch will manage the kitchen and support visiting Revolver chefs for the time being.

She's also running a weekly "chef's tables" Sunday dinner series, using the stint as a testing ground for potential Marrow dishes. More info on that can be found at revolverhamtramck.com/sundays-with-sarah.

Contact Mark Kurlyandchik: 313-222-5026 or mkurlyandchik@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @mkurlyandchik and Instagram: mkurlyandchik.