Notable Moroccan restaurant Saffron De Twah has narrowed its hours to weekends while its founder works up a new cafe concept.

Why it matters: The small restaurant on Gratiot Avenue isn't sustainable in its current form, chef Omar Anani wrote in a letter to supporters last week while teasing several upcoming changes.

• He cites industry challenges, as food and wage costs rise while fewer people dine out.

State of play: Saffron De Twah, which opened in 2019 in the McDougall Hunt area, is too small to seat enough people to turn a sustainable profit, Anani tells Axios. He's reducing hours while he seeks a larger location.

• Anani, a James Beard Award contender and "Chopped" winner, plans to start a cafe during the now-empty weekdays at a yet-to-be-determined date.
• The cafe concept is Cara, short for caravanserai. It's inspired by the spices and vibes of the inns where travelers stopped along the Silk Road, contributing to the evolution of food traditions along the way.

Separately, Anani's new cheap-eats concept centering on rotisserie chicken, Nomad Rotisserie, is popping up at Third Street Bar Mondays and Wednesdays this month, starting at 6pm. It's expected to open full time around next month.

• The chef's other previously announced plan for two new restaurants and apartments on the east side is stalled due to a loss of grant funding, he says.

Zoom out: Nationally, many independent restaurants say they've hit a pricing ceiling, according to the James Beard Foundation's annual industry report.

• As industry challenges have increased, operators have used survival tactics like raising prices.
• But restaurants that raised prices more than 10% in 2025 were most likely to report lower profits, while diners push back by ordering less.
• In 2026, per the report, stability depends less on charging more — and more on running smarter.

What they're saying: "What you're finding is the middle-tier restaurants are dying and the upper and lower tier restaurants are doing extremely well," Anani tells Axios.

• "People are … either eating cheaper or they're saving up their money, eating out a lot less, and doing the higher-end dining."

What's next: Look out for more details on Cara's opening.

One more update

Welcome back to our regular update on Detroit politics and policy!

👋 Former candidate's whereabouts: Saunteel Jenkins, the former city council president and nonprofit CEO who ran for mayor against winner Mary Sheffield, appeared at a housing affordability roundtable last week with gubernatorial candidate Jocelyn Benson.

• In a press release, Jenkins said she hopes to see Benson as governor and sees Benson working to understand "the people on the front lines doing the work."

🏢 Secure buildings: Detroit's law department advised city council in recent weeks that the lawmaking body can't legally ban or limit ICE operations — but it can implement policies restricting use of city property for assisting ICE.

• After that, Council Member Gabriela Santiago-Romero requested the city draft an ordinance barring federal law enforcement agencies from conducting operations on city-owned property.
• She wrote that her request came "in light of continued reports of aggressive, quasi-legal tactics being deployed by (ICE) in the Detroit Metro area and across the nation …"

⛔ No thanks: Another council member, Scott Benson, wants Sheffield's administration to commit to a two-year moratorium on the development of data centers, which have drawn controversy in other Michigan cities.

• Benson sent a memo asking for a resolution to be drafted. City council would then need to vote on that resolution, which would formally request Sheffield enact a moratorium.
• Benson wants to hold off on data centers until the city can study best practices around water consumption, noise pollution and economic impact.

Another bit of chatter

🤝 Gov. Gretchen Whitmer met with President Trump yesterday. The president agreed to provide additional emergency funding that had previously been denied to help with recovery from historic ice storms last year. (Free Press)

💨 A Wayne County judge ruled that Detroit Thermal cannot run its steam lines through private property in Lafayette Park. Residents there had rallied against the plan and sued. (Metro Times)

🌲 A U.S. Forest Service project to reduce wildfire risk in the U.P. by clear-cutting thousands of acres is getting pushback from environmental groups. (Detroit News)

Attorneys general in Michigan and several other states are moving aggressively to sue corporate giants in an attempt to fill a void they argue is being left by federal antitrust regulators.

Why it matters: Recent examples show states can be effective in blocking big mergers, especially when they band together.

Driving the news: A bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general on Monday filed a motion for a mistrial in the federal antitrust lawsuit that sought to break up Live Nation/Ticketmaster.

• They are looking to continue their lawsuit after the Justice Department on Monday said it settled the case for $280 million.
• The settlement quickly drew outrage from consumer groups and activists, who argue the Trump administration let the firm off the hook.

What they're saying: "Michigan will not be a party to the preposterous settlement negotiated between Live Nation and the U.S. Department of Justice," Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a statement.

• "Rather than arguing their case at trial, Live Nation instead ran to the political leadership of the DOJ — where crony corruption carried the day."

Keep reading

Detroit reached a deal with running back Isiah Pacheco to fill the void left by David Montgomery, who was traded to Houston last week.

Why it matters: Pacheco's rugged running style should complement Jahmyr Gibbs' speed and quickness heading into next season.

Other roster changes during free agency this week:

🦁 Welcome to Detroit

• C Cade Mays — three-year deal to anchor the interior line
• OT Larry Borom — offensive line depth

✌️ See ya

• LT Taylor Decker — granted release after 10 seasons
• WR Kalif Raymond — headed to the Bears
• LB Alex Anzalone — signing with the Buccaneers
• CB Amik Robertson — joining the Commanders
• DT Roy Lopez — returning to the Cardinals
• QB Kyle Allen — Buffalo-bound