It’s hosting season in Detroit.
Every year, there’s a specific moment when the city transforms. When the weather warms, when we stop looking inward and start inviting people to experience our unique energy and culture. It’s when Detroit becomes an international city, and friends, that moment is now.
Every year during Movement, Detroit is given an opportunity to host people from all over the world. The festival is an amazing and exciting time when the city glows — people everywhere on the streets, dancing, celebrating, bouncing from restaurants and bars to outdoor venues. It’s like a new city. A city rising from the ashy gray of winter. What a special time to inhabit this wonderful place.
Movement is also a chance for Barda and Puma to show off. You see, our mission isn’t just about getting people in Detroit familiar with what we do — it’s about showing everyone. Showing people from Europe, Canada, South America, and elsewhere that we are on top of our game. That Detroit is a powerful force. This is the meaning of hosting season.
Of course, I was born to host. It is my lifeblood, my purpose. I’m a born entertainer; it is something I cannot control. I like to be the center of the party (that’s my ego!). I like to create wonderful moments for people; experiences for everybody. Hosting is what feeds my soul, so May is the most exciting time in Detroit for me. I’ve got this pure sense of excitement and anticipation, like fluttering butterflies. It’s like hosting a holiday at your house. You know that special day that you’ve been expecting for a long time? You prepare your house to look the best it can possibly look. The food, the drinks, the tables and chairs, the fire pit, the music — it’s all ready. Now, you just wait for the guests to arrive. This is where we are, and that day is coming. The day that our collective house — Detroit — becomes full.
Detroit is an international city. Of course, people associate this place with sports, but those only reach other Americans. Fashion, music, food, and design — things that Detroit has created in abundance — this is the true language of the world. We are an international hub for art. It’s something I realized after I spent time in Paris last year at the invitation of Salonnière. Detroit is very much like Paris! Our proud city has a unique point of view and a specific kind of energy that resonates with people from all over the globe. I’ve seen it firsthand. People are excited to take some of this place with them for their own lives.
Make no mistake, a larger conversation about Detroit is now in the air. The big news is that the Michelin Guide will be coming to Detroit. While we don’t work for awards, it is very important how much attraction the guide will bring to Detroit. However, what it provides is only an opportunity, and we as chefs and restaurateurs are the ones who need to seize it. Collectively, we must rise to the occasion.
So at Barda and Puma, that’s the focus: refining what we do, staying disciplined in how we do it, and continuing to evolve without losing the core. This work is built through repetition, discipline, and a clear point of view. It’s built by teams that show up every day and execute at a high level, whether the room is full or not. Consistency matters more than peaks and valleys. Identity matters more than expansion. And nothing happens in isolation. Remember that!
The strongest food cities are shaped by collaboration. Chefs influence each other constantly, through conversations, shared suppliers, techniques, and proximity. Standards rise when the collective pushes forward, and you can see that energy building right now. Events like Movement bring an international audience, but, at the same time, gatherings like the Detroit Food & Entrepreneurship Summit at Marrow in Eastern Market keep pushing the internal conversation forward. A conversation around sourcing, sustainability, and how we operate as an industry. So, we continue to share and collaborate. We continue to strengthen. We continue to build through events like Employee of The Month (this month, it’s all about our wonderful director of operations, Francesca Walz), and by sharing spaces with wonderful chefs like James Rigato.
(You won’t want to miss Francesca’s pop up, so get tickets before they sell out!)
The city is best when it’s active, visible, and under pressure to perform. That’s where the real work shows. The question isn’t how a city gets attention. It’s whether it’s ready to sustain it. So, is Detroit ready? That comes down to infrastructure: strong teams, reliable systems, committed producers, and kitchens that take their work seriously over time. What guests experience in the dining room is the result of that process. And we are committed to that process.
A dining city isn’t declared; it’s built. And what we are building in Detroit has been bubbling to the surface for quite some time, ready to burst like a bottle of champagne.
Keep the fire burning,
- Javier
