Le Petit Zinc gets a new lease on life in Midtown

Le Petit Zinc, the French-inspired breakfast and lunch spot formerly located in Corktown, will be reborn next month in Midtown.

The move was announced in a news release from owner Karima Sorel and business partner Scott Rutterbush, who also runs the Dine Drink Detroit restaurant promotion and marketing business.

“'I've been in Paris the last two months finding all kinds of inspiration for the next chapter of LPZ and we felt that this location is the perfect spot for us to do so," Sorel said in the release.

The quaint Parisian eatery closed its original location at 1055 Trumbull in September as a result of a dispute with the building's landlord, Sorel's mother Teresa Kelly. (Kelly and her late husband Charles founded the Michigan Citizen newspaper and used the building as its offices before it became Le Petit Zinc.)

At the time of Zinc's closure, Sorel was hatching plans to re-open in another location in Corktown, but that plan fell through just as the Midtown spot became available.

The new location is formerly the home of Dangerously Delicious Pies' Detroit outpost at 70 W. Alexandrine in the Strathmore Apartments building. Just days after Le Petit Zinc closed, Eater Detroit reported that Dangerously Delicious Pies would not be re-opening any of its Detroit-area locations, prompting Rutterbush to reach out to Midtown Detroit, Inc. Executive Director Sue Mosey about the building.

“Midtown Detroit, Inc. is thrilled to welcome Le Petit Zinc to Midtown," Mosey said in the release. "Their successful model with a wonderful selection of French crepes, sandwiches, and fresh salads is a great addition to the other local offerings.”

At 900 square feet, the space is roughly the same size as Zinc's former location. It also boasts a front patio, which will be open in the summer months, much like in its former Corktown space.

Le Petit Zinc is aiming to re-open by mid-January.

More info: 313-963-2805 and lepetitzincdetroit.com.

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