The Well: Dearborn’s Newest Watering Hole Opens
The Well, Dearborn's newest bar is now open for business.
Dearborn’s newest pub is now open for business. Located in the West Village Commons on Michigan Avenue, the new bar called The Well is now serving your favorite brew, along with some nice atmosphere.
The Well’s co-Owner Ross Varacalli, a Dearborn resident, had planned to have his new bar (next to the now closed Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory in the West Village Commons) open by July or at least by Dearborn’s Homecoming celebration in August, but getting the needed paperwork done and liquor license hurdles cleared took a bit more time than anticipated.
If The Well in Dearborn is anything like the one Varacalli and his partners operate in Detroit, it should be a hit in Dearborn.
Good luck and welcome to the neighborhood. For the earlier story, please click HERE.
September 19th, 2009 at 11:30 am
I would like to say good luck and thanks for having faith in Dearborn!!!! Does anyone know if they will be serving food?
September 19th, 2009 at 7:00 pm
I too would like to wish you luck. Donna if you really want to know if they serve food, go in there.
September 20th, 2009 at 10:04 am
8 months to live
September 20th, 2009 at 12:50 pm
Jamie – thanks so much for the info. I realize that or I could call – just wondered if they serve lunch. No harm in providing this info to a bunch of other people.
September 21st, 2009 at 8:33 am
Donna-
Went yesterday Sunday they were closed, I had heard no food.
September 21st, 2009 at 9:34 am
Pat – thanks for the info. Sort of surprising that they would be closed on Sunday and specially their opening weekend. Althought it could be a smart move – I don’t usually see to many people up there on Sundays.
September 21st, 2009 at 3:01 pm
The Well opens up at 7:00 p.m. on Sundays, there is No food there.
September 21st, 2009 at 7:05 pm
Drove by yesterday evening and yes, the place was closed – instead of having a quiet drink, ate Cold Stone ice cream instead.
September 22nd, 2009 at 6:06 am
soft opening. grand opening is set for this Friday. running happy hour ($2 domestics) all day all week. sunday open is 7 p.m., at least for now.
only food is peanuts, pretzels.
September 22nd, 2009 at 2:29 pm
Need more than booze to draw me in. I can get nice drinks and appetisers elsewhere
September 23rd, 2009 at 8:36 am
I wish them well (no pun intended).
However, the design of West Village Commons does nothing to attract customers. People driving down Michigan Avenue don’t have the time to stop and look and see what is actually in there. Also, throw in the lack of parking spaces close to the building and its a recipe for closure, just like the other businesses that have gone before them.
Does anybody honestly think that people will park in the parking structure down the street and walk there if the weather is bad (cold, rain, snow)?
September 23rd, 2009 at 9:12 am
Howells is usually crowded, and been around for years. Guess what? You have to pay to park, and walk a few feet in the rain and cold. Doesn’t seem to hurt their business. I am so sick of the parking complaints.
Good Luck to the Well!
September 23rd, 2009 at 10:16 am
Darren, you’re right, the design of the place is completely wrong. Disregarding the cheap genericism of it its courtyard does nothing to attract the only people who pass through downtown west Dearborn, the driver traveling 40 mph. Of course most businesses do nothing to capture the attention of those drivers but at least they’re on Michigan Ave. and are somewhat visible, even if only for a few hundredths of a second.
I also think you’re right about the parking. In Ann Arbor or other functional cities people would be happy to park within 200 feet (the distance to the east deck) of their destination. In Dearborn that’s way too far to walk, even in good weather. I’ve seen this with a lot of my Dearborn friends who would visit me in Ann Arbor. They’d complain about walking a block. God forbid if they had to walk 2 blocks or if it was below 50 degrees or there was a light rain or light snow. It’s not their fault because in Dearborn they can park within 30 feet of wherever they’re going. Need to go a block or more then get in the car.
Then we wonder why our businesses are failing. Maybe in some cases yes they have bad business plans. Also city hall certainly does them no favors (unless they pay). I’ll also add in the average Dearbornite as a reason businesses fail.
“It’s too expensive”
“It’s not expensive enough”
“I can’t park within 30 feet of the door”
“I have to pay 25 cents to park so I’ll drive miles away to Allen Park (where I can also park pretty close to the door)”
With all that said I also want to wish them good luck and success.
September 23rd, 2009 at 1:08 pm
If The Well becomes a ‘destination’, then it will have a better chance at success than similar establishments that have failed.
Here’s hoping the owners of The Well thoroughly advertise their establishment not only in Dearborn, but in surrounding communities. Still searching for their website.
With that being said, may The Well succeed “well” beyond everyone’s expections.
September 24th, 2009 at 11:00 pm
wow, I can’t believe how lazy people are.
1. get out of your cars and walk a bit. It won’t kill ya to burn a few calories.
2. the parking structure is free for the first 1/2 hour and something like 50 cents and hour thereafter. give me a break, spending those pennies keeps our local economy rolling and progressing.
3. there are plenty of great eating places in Dearborn, so not having food won’t really hurt them. It was probably a good business decision by the way.
4. if you live in Dearborn or any surrounding area, why would you not want a business to succeed? why the negativity? businesses are the essentials of a thriving community. you should feel lucky that people are still willing to invest in a city that has seen diminishing business.
I have hope. They are going to do great.
September 25th, 2009 at 8:17 am
Went to the Well on Wednesday, was very impressed with the layout of this place. So nice to have a place in Dearborn that has a great atmosphere, in a new building with high ceilings, great ventilation, and windows. These guys got it right, and there from Dearborn, so lets show some support here for the locals. Not having food is a negative, but I bet they hook up with a restauraunt near by and cut a deal for some type of menu. Great HD plasma’s to watch a game also. Nice job guys, you have my support.
October 1st, 2009 at 1:50 pm
you guys are all haters. fyi: you pay for parking everywhere these days; schools, shopping, etc. get over it and don’t be cheap. and if you’re looking for food, eat before you come, or there are pleanty of great restaurants to eat at on mich ave. bars are for drinking. the well is great! and i’m sure it will be around for a long time.