The number of retail liquor establishments Detroit and Wayne County, Michigan are in direct proportion to the population density. Three levels of government involvement affect the granting of licenses to purchase and sell beer and alcohol. The density of approved licensees is related to the number of residents listed in the census.
In the picture below the retail liquor businesses are marked on the map of Detroit. To the right of this map is a density map showing the concentration of licensees within the city. It has changed immensely since 1932. In that year, the State of Michigan became involved in the license approval process for bars in Michigan.
The number of liquor licenses has grown and declined parallel with Detroit’s actual population (as recorded by the US Department of Census and the Michigan licensing and Regulatory Agency).
Throughout the State of Michigan the liquor licenses are granted based on a city authorized level and a state approval process. The ‘Detroit Dive Bar’ analysis takes the longevity of the licensee into consideration when choosing to review the location. Obviously, this guideline excludes new, national chains. Coast-to-coast and regional bar/restaurant chains generally haven’t been around that long and are not rooted in the local communities.
Local, community involvement is a key point in customer loyalty to the dive bar scene. Using our fathers, and grandfathers as benchmarks, most of us probably remember the friendships they had with the customers and employees of their favorite ‘shot-and-a-beer’ bar. We use the term about shots and beers interchangeably with our dive bar references.
Times are always tough in our town. Times will probably be tougher in the years ahead. Walking through the door of a local pub is probably one of the ways to cope with the pressure of the outside world. That ‘real world’ is hard enough to deal with. Perhaps compartmentalizing the pressure of work, home, and family is the best way to cope and survive. We are pleased that local customers choose to frequent their local pub and seek an escape that is both safe and legal.
Best Dive Bars of Detroit 