At the end of an interview about the recently unveiled expansion of his Main St. seafood and cocktail venue Black Pearl, co-owner Harry Cohen suggests, “Write something beautiful!”
A psychologist who promotes personal development as a speaker and writer, Cohen conveys a calm confidence in describing the eighteen-month project “to create a great welcoming space, a space with light, a space that respects the cool design elements of the original Pearl and the culture that can keep it humming.”
When Starbucks closed in 2023, landlord Reza Rahmani had other options to succeed it. But the neighboring Black Pearl, which opened in 2008, “rolled the dice,” as Cohen puts it, to take the spot. Nearly doubled in size, it now extends all the way to Liberty, giving it windows on downtown’s most prominent corner.
Beyond the enhanced visibility and alfresco seating, the expansion creates a much brighter interior. “I knew we wanted the tufted walls, but the softer wood design was last-minute,” Cohen says of the new bar and overhang.
Cohen and his artist wife, Jan Ziegelman Cohen, had faith that general manager Jake Doyal and their team could handle the additional business. They hired Doyal in 2020 and eventually made him a co-owner. “It’s been unbelievably fabulous with him at the helm,” Cohen enthuses.
Fish tacos and coconut shrimp remain popular standards amid chef Anthony DeChavez’s seasonally rotating menu. They’ve added second-generation sushi chef Jae Myoung to run the new sushi bar, which will eventually include a grab-and-go option.
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Named for “a rare jewel of the sea,” Black Pearl is growing even amid challenges to the sit-down segment of the hospitality industry with the intention of serving a diverse clientele for at least a few more decades.
“If you create a beautiful place that is welcoming and comfortable, and have good food and good service, and strive to be better, I think that it’s a vibrant and healthy business,” Cohen believes. “Location helps, but really, the space needs to be inviting.”
Black Pearl, 302 S. Main. (734) 222–0400. Mon.–Thurs. 5 –10 p.m., Fri. & Sat. 4 –11 p.m., Sun. 4 –9 p.m. blackpearlannarbor.com
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