(For those who did not get to attend the grand opening of the Viper Cafe, here is an updated version of the blog that appeared before the ribbon-cutting, including pictures of the cafe taken by Maurice Liang.)
A new dining experience debuted this weekend in the shadow of Chrysler Group LLC’s World Headquarters tower in Auburn Hills, Mich. In fact, it’s located in the Walter P. Chrysler Museum.
I can’t say I’ve ever had museum food, but I’m sure the menu will be fine.
The big draw here, of course, is not the bill of fare. It is a chance to have a snack and get cozy with the Chrysler Group’s ultimate American-built supercar.
Welcome to the Viper Café.
Featuring diner-like counters, checkered tile floors, bright lighting and, of course, a prime spot to exhibit one of the Vipers in the collection, the café is in the basement of the museum, conveniently adjacent to the existing food service area.
(It should be noted that the Viper Cafe is not a working restaurant; it's the food service area for the museum when events take place. So while there's a large counter for them to serve food on, and Viper tables and chairs to eat at during parties, you can't walk in and just order a hamburger and a soda.)
The year-long project to get the café up and running is the brain-child of Viper Club of America founding president and Viper memorabilia collector Maurice Liang. He says he went to fellow Viper owners to see if they could pony up the dough needed to make the café idea happen.
“Club members were very supportive of the Viper Cafe project,” said Liang. “Originally, I had set a target of raising $12,000 to re-decorate the area, but thanks to their generosity, we raised over $70,000 for this project, which allowed us to do much more -- new counters, new paint, new floor, new lighting.”
The color scheme is red/black/silver, Viper’s official colors. Club members donated neon signs, Viper tables and bar stools, and a TV to show Viper videos. Liang donated over $8,000 in Viper memorabilia, which will be shown as themed, rotating exhibits.
“Viper owners are very passionate and loyal about the Viper,” Liang says. “That fanaticism rubs off on other SRT products as well as Chrysler Group products in general. Many of us own multiple Vipers and have other Chrysler Group products in the garage for our "daily drivers.” We're very proud of the car, its heritage, and people like Ralph Gilles and his teams who design and build these cars. We also want to share that enthusiasm with others, which is why I think they've been so supportive of the Viper Cafe project.
In turn, Gilles had high praise for Liang’s efforts in securing funding and completing the café project in just a year’s time.
“Congratulations to Maurice for channeling his passion and dedication and to the Chrysler Museum management for making the Viper Café become a reality,” Gilles said. “Their combined efforts along with the support of the special group of enthusiasts inside of Viper Nation and beyond prove once again that the legendary Viper will live on as a true flagship supercar and help to showcase the best we have to offer.”
The Viper Café’s grand opening was Saturday, June 9, just in time for the Chrysler Employee Motorsport Association car show, with Gilles, SRT President and CEO, cutting the ceremonial ribbon.
