06/02/2026
When Bakerās Keyboard Lounge announced it was temporarily closing for renovations, some longtime customers immediately started asking when Detroitās historic jazz club would reopen.
āThe phones are ringing like crazy,ā co-owner Jackie Vaughn Whitaker told Crainās. āPeople are used to coming here.ā
That reaction wasnāt surprising to Whitaker because Bakerās has been part of Detroitās music scene for more than 90 years.
Bakerās Keyboard Lounge is co-owned by business partners Hugh W. Smith III and Eric Whitaker Sr., operating under the ownership of SB Media LLC. They purchased the Detroit jazz club at 20510 Livernois Ave. in 2011.
Now, the owners are investing more than $100,000 into a renovation project designed to address aging infrastructure while preserving the character that has made Bakerās a destination since 1934.
The work is being funded primarily through private investment, with assistance from a small grant through the Detroit Economic Growth Corp., according to Whitaker.
āWeāve been thinking about it for quite some time,ā Whitaker said. āItās hard to close. Weāre 93 years old.ā
Read more local food and restaurant updates here: https://www.crainsdetroit.com/arts-entertainment/cdb-bakers-keyboard-lounge-renovation-20260601/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=soc-own