Dakota Inn Rathskeller (Google maps photo)
Perhaps there's some irony in the fact that Paddy Lynch, a third-generation funeral director of Lynch and Sons, is bringing new life to some of Detroit's iconic businesses in distressed neighborhoods.
Back in 2017, he and his partners renovated and reopened The Schvitz on Oakland Avenue, a legendary bathhouse that also served food. Last May, he reopened the beloved Dutch Girl Donuts on Woodward, just south of 7 Mile Road, which had been closed since 2021.
Now comes this: The Detroit Free Press reports that Karl Kurz, the third-generation owner of the German bar the Dakota Inn Rathskeller on John R and Six Mile Road in Detroit, has sold the business to Lynch.
“I am thrilled that I was able to find Paddy—somebody who lives in Detroit, not just owns two houses or runs businesses here, but is truly rooted in Detroit,” Kurz told the Free Press. “To find somebody who wants to invest in Detroit is exciting.”
The Rathskeller was opened on August 1, 1933, by Karl Kurz, grandfather of Karl E. Kurz, the most recent owner. Ninety years later, Detroit’s only authentic German bar is still going strong!
