Vigilante Kitchen to close Saturday in Midtown, here’s what’s next

Less than 10 months after opening, Mission Restaurant Group has announced that Vigilante Kitchen and chef Aaron Cozadd would be leaving the space at 644 Selden after Saturday’s service and a new collaboration will take its place.

The Vigilante Kitchen and Bar concept made headlines when it opened last summer because of chef Cozadd’s mission to offer recovery support and a Zen-like working environment for his employees. The eclectic menu, cool bar program and punk rock aesthetic were a hit. The restaurant earned a three-star review from The Detroit News, landed on our Best New Restaurants of 2023 list and Cozadd was given a Chef of the Year honor from the Detroit Free Press.

Mission Restaurant Group — which also owns Jolly Pumpkin, North Peak Brewing Company, Blue Tractor BBQ, Nain Rouge Brewery, located next door, and several other properties — says they are working with the Detroit-based nonprofit Soil2Service and its apprentice-style culinary education program, Detroit Institute of Gastronomy, to open a new concept in this space.

According to a press release, this social enterprise will be “the hub of culinary education in Detroit providing a home base for DIGs nationally recognized apprentice program.” The new collaboration’s restaurant name will be announced at a later date.

Cozadd says the Vigilante kitchen brand and mission will continue in various other ways, possibly as a ghost kitchen or pop-up concept.

"During our time operating Vigilante with Mission Restaurant Group, I believe we made great strides toward what the future of the restaurant industry could look like for those in recovery,” he said in the press release. “We created an environment that nurtured personal growth and emphasized tools and guidance to help staff balance out what can be an otherwise difficult industry in which to maintain a healthy lifestyle. In a time when hiring and staff retention are two of the biggest hurdles we face, I hope that the industry at large will see that this approach is not just good for the staff, but rather, good business sense."

“We are grateful for our collaboration with Aaron, his exceptional cuisine and his dedication to supporting addiction recovery within the hospitality industry,” said Mission Restaurant Group president David Ritchie. “However, now is the time to take our mission to the next level, and Soil2Service is equipped to achieve our mutual vision.”

The original mission of being a welcoming and safe place for employees in addiction recovery will continue to go forward.

Ritchie is a member of the Recovery Friendly Workplace initiative through the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Recently, every Mission Group Restaurant started participating in the program and are certified as “Recovery Friendly.”

Vigilante Kitchen and Bar is open for dinner for final services through Saturday at 644 Selden in Detroit. Call (313) 638-1695 or visit vigilantekitchen.com.

mbaetens@detroitnews.com