Tigris, a new hi-fi listening bar slated to open in June in Southwest Detroit, is built around a simple idea: music deserves to be listened to with intention.
Located at 2545 Bagley, the concept combines a carefully designed listening environment with a café and cocktail program inspired by Middle Eastern flavors, creating a space its founders hope will feel as warm and communal as it is sonically immersive.
The project is a collaboration between music supervisor Fabian Halabou, Inlaws Hospitality – owned by husband and wife team Jacques and Christine Driscoll, and Kenan Juska of the internationally known DJ duo Chances With Wolves, with In Sheep’s Clothing alum Dane Majors serving as general manager. Together, they are creating a venue centered on vinyl culture, high-fidelity sound, and thoughtful vibes.
Halabou says the idea had been circulating for some time.
“Jacques and I had known each other for a long time and tossed around the idea of doing something together for a while,” he says. “I mentioned a listening bar, and it resonated.”
The partnership then came together organically. Halabou brought the musical perspective. Inlaws Hospitality understood the operational and hospitality side. Juska added another layer of deep musical knowledge and curatorial experience.
“Then we got into the space together and realized pretty quickly there was overlap in our interests and what we wanted the experience to feel like,” Juska says.
That experience begins with sound.
Unlike traditional bars or restaurants where music often sits in the background, Tigris is being intentionally designed around listening itself. The venue will feature a custom-built sound system designed by Detroit-based Bing Audio, with every element of the room constructed to support acoustics and clarity.
“We had conversations early on about whether we wanted to go vintage or custom in terms of the sound system,” Halabou says. “But with Bing, we had the opportunity to start from the ground up and design the room specifically around sound.”
TIGRIS SPEAKER SYSTEM
That process extended far beyond speaker selection.
“A member of Bing is also an architect, so we were able to design the room from the bones up,” he says. “From materials to sound treatments to speaker placement, everything was designed so that no matter where you’re sitting, you should be experiencing the music at a high level.”
Juska says much of that work exists in ways guests may never consciously notice.
“The depth of that treatment extends to things you can’t even see,” he says. “There are bass traps in the ceiling under the panels that will make a huge difference.”
Even the speaker’s presence contribute to the atmosphere.
“When you walk in and see the space, there’s a feeling like this is something different,” Juska says.
The goal, however, is not to create a rigid or overly serious environment.
“We try to steer away from a prescriptive experience,” Juska says. “It’s a come-as-you-are vibe.”
At the same time, he says the team has approached every detail of the café and listening space with “painstaking attention” to how the room will feel and function. “The space itself will guide the energy,” he says.
For Juska, music remains one of the most emotionally powerful art forms because of the way it connects people.
“The first time I set foot in a listening bar, I experienced music differently than I ever had in my life. It feels like a blend between art and science when you hear the way a system can sound in a properly tuned room. It can be transcendent.”
That philosophy also shapes how Tigris plans to program the space. Alongside guest DJ sets and curated vinyl nights, the founders hope to create an environment where selectors can share music that feels deeply personal or meaningful rather than simply maintaining atmosphere.
“I’ve been DJ’ing for over 20 years in all kinds of spaces,” Juska says. “The most exciting thing to me is playing a record someone hasn’t heard before and having them come up afterward and ask, ‘What is this?’ That’s the environment we’re trying to cultivate.”
That emphasis on discovery feels especially fitting in Detroit.
“Detroit has such a rich history of music and appreciation for music,” Halabou says. “Any time you’re presenting an elevated music experience in Detroit, there’s going to be an audience for it.”
He sees Tigris not as something attempting to redefine the city’s nightlife, but rather as part of a larger musical ecosystem already deeply embedded in Detroit culture.
“We’re not pretending we’re going to change Detroit nightlife or blow people’s minds,” he says. “But because of the community and musical history here, there’s already an expectation that if you come to Detroit, you’ll find a great musical experience.”
Named after the Tigris River, the venue draws inspiration from Halabou’s Iraqi heritage, particularly within its cocktail and food menus.
The physical layout also reflects the venue’s dual identity. By day, the front room operates primarily as a café. By night, the listening room opens into a more intimate cocktail-focused environment, while the café itself shifts into a softer evening atmosphere.
“There’s literally a transition from day to night,” Halabou says. “But the music will always connect the two spaces.”
General Manager Dane Majors has described the concept as existing “somewhere between a living room experience and a club,” an idea both founders say feels accurate.
“On any given night, it may shift more in one direction than the other,” Halabou says.
What remains constant is the desire to create an environment where people feel connected – not only to the music, but to each other.
“We’ll go to a movie or a play, and everyone sits quietly and pays attention,” Juska says. “There’s this idea of listening to a piece of art someone worked hard to create. The hope is that hearing records in this environment impacts people.”
And while some nights may center around focused listening sessions, others will lean fully into celebration and movement.
“There will absolutely be dance parties,” he says. “Music as celebration is equally important.”
For now, as the team prepares for its opening, the founders remain focused on creating a space that feels thoughtful, welcoming and deeply rooted in both sound and community.
“Good sound sounds good,” Juska says. “That’s really the foundation of all of it.”
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