Kelly's Bar Hamtramck

Brad Ruff, Owner of Kelly’s Bar in Hamtramck, Dies in Motorcycle Crash | Eater Detroit

"A 100-year-old Hamtramck dive bar that Brad Ruff bought in the mid-2000s, Kelly's was transformed by Ruff—a charismatic former American Axle jobsetter—into a place known for fish fries, periodic barbecues and for hosting bands from all over the world. Ruff, who liked making people happy and had a contagious joie de vivre, sold the bar just days ago to Detroit Marble Bar owner Garrett Ragsdale as he prepared to retire; Ruff was later killed in a motorcycle crash in Eastpointe that reportedly involved an alleged drunken driver and also critically injured his wife, Patti Banas. Owners Kiersten Schilinski and Garrett Ragsdale have spent the past 18 months polishing both the interior and exterior—leveling floors, gutting and rebuilding the kitchen, sprucing up restrooms—and added a custom-built bar rail and revamped backyard, while taco nights, Kellyoke and (motor)bike nights have kept the regular crowd coming. Ragsdale reportedly has plans to turn it into a biker bar." - Monica Williams