The Racine family is tripling down on downtown Northville.
Alicia and Ryan Racine first opened Adorn Fine Flowers in downtown Northville back in 2017. The couple, unswayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, would go on to open Sugar Lu’s candy shop in August 2020.
Now, just a year later, the Racines are readying the opening of their latest venture: Toria, a European-style café, bar, and bistro that also offers catering services.
Reservations are being accepted online beginning Sunday, Aug. 15, and an opening date is set for Tuesday, Aug. 15.
“We love this community and how supportive it is for small businesses. It's an exciting time with all that is happening in downtown Northville, and we saw an opportunity to further involve our creative vision in that future,” says co-owner Alicia Racine.
“We have a long love affair with food, wine, and hospitality and decided it was the right time to share that passion. Our hope is that we've created a restaurant that is sophisticated yet approachable — modern, yet still pays homage to the heritage and era of our beloved Victorian town.”
As Alicia alludes to, Toria is a nod to downtown Northville’s Victorian-era heritage, a period that generally refers to much of the mid- to late 1800s. Much of the city’s original architecture and Mill Race Historical Village are from the period and events like Victorian Sunday and the Northville Heritage Festival, both in September, pay homage to those roots. Toria itself was the nickname of Princess Victoria of Wales, granddaughter of the UK’s Queen Victoria.
While a menu has yet to be released, patrons of Northville’s social district might be familiar with Toria. The restaurant hosted pop-ups this past winter, selling hand pies like the Pork & Pickle and Chicken Tikka Marsala.
“We are excited to have Ryan and Alicia expand their business footprint in Downtown Northville. Their business savvy and commitment to the community have quickly made their businesses downtown favorites for residents and visitors” says Lori Ward, director of the Northville Downtown Development Authority. “While visitors got a little taste of Toria’s offerings during their pop-ups in our social district, we are excited to announce their official opening which will add a unique dining option to downtown Northville.”
Toria is located at 115 E. Main St. in downtown Northville.
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