Ferndale’s Antihero is becoming Tigerlily restaurant and Mai Tiki cocktail bar

More than two years after izakaya-style restaurant Antihero closed in downtown Ferndale, a restaurant will open in that space with new owners, a new name and a refreshed concept.

Tigerlily will have a sushi bar in the dining room, a kitchen serving other Asian cuisine and a separate, 900-square-foot tiki bar called Mai Tiki, accessible from inside the restaurant.

The 4,000-square-foot dining room is being redesigned by Birmingham architects Ron & Roman, said Hometown Restaurant Group’s Kevin Elliott. He confirmed to The Detroit News that the new restaurant is on track to open in 2022.

The name Tigerlily refers to the flower that Elliott says once grew wild in Ferndale throughout the 1920s and is native to many parts of Asia.

Hometown Restaurant Group, which also owns Public House, One-Eyed Betty’s and Pop’s For Italian in downtown Ferndale, purchased Antihero and Public House last year from Working Class Outlaws. That restaurant group, which currently owns and operates Imperial in Ferndale and its roving food truck, opened Antihero in 2018.

Tigerlily and Mai Tiki are at 231 W. Nine Mile in Ferndale. Visit dinehometown.com. 

On June 26, Hometown Restaurant Group will host Pasta Slam 2022 at Pop’s for Italian, an event to raise money for LGBTQ+ community center Affirmations. Five chefs from the hospitality group will battle while attendees and a panel of local celebrities vote for their favorites. The $100 ticket includes unlimited pasta samples, six wine pairings, appetizers, salad, dessert and a gift bag. VIP tickets are $150 and include early, priority service.

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mbaetens@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @melodybaetens