Spot Lite Detroit (Islandview)
This multifaceted space is a bar, record store, art gallery and music venue all wrapped into one.
Roula David said she and husband Jesse Corey wanted to create a place that celebrates Detroit’s music and art while providing a space for Detroiters to “have a coffee and hang out.” They opened the venue after receiving a Motor City Match grant and hope the space will help Detroit artists develop their crafts.
David, a first-generation immigrant, said the Greater Villages area was the perfect place for Spot Lite Detroit, given the limited nightlife options on Detroit’s eastside.
Website: www.spotlitedetroit.com/
Address: 2905 Beaufait St., Detroit
Joe Louis Southern Kitchen (New Center)
The legacy of Joe Louis lives on in Detroit.
The boxer’s son and a group of managing partners have opened a new Southern-style eatery in New Center. The restaurant opened May 14, after coronavirus slowed initial operations.
Johnny Cannon, a longtime Detroit restaurateur and entrepreneur, said his partners wanted to highlight Louis’ love for celebrating with food, friends and family. Keith Jackson, who has designed stage plays across the country, decorated the space to look like a backyard barbecue, with ringside seating and a welcoming red carpet. There’s also Joe Louis memorabilia and a screen to watch his boxing highlights.
The Southern Kitchen, which serves breakfast all day, is open Wednesday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Cannon says he hopes to extend those hours to seven days a week later this summer.
Website: www.facebook.com/jlskdetroit/
Address: 6549 Woodward Ave., Detroit
RollerCade on Monroe Street Midway (Downtown)
Detroit’s oldest, Black-owned roller rink has made its way downtown in a major way.
The outdoor rink opened Memorial Day weekend and sits in the middle of downtown Detroit. The rink is surrounded by four basketball courts, concession stands, space for live performances and outdoor exercise and will stay open until the fall.
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The RollerCade’s partnership with Bedrock, Rocket Community Fund and Detroit artists has created a fun space for Detroiters to be outside while partaking in one of Motown’s favorite pastimes.
“Rollout Detroit will change what it means to rollerskate in the city of Detroit,” said Kyle Black, RollerCade’s third-generation owner. “This truly unique and creative roller rink will thrill skaters of every skill level.”
The newest iteration of Decked Out Detroit has murals by Sheefy McFly, Phil Simpson, Olivia Guterson and Jessica Care Moore.
Free parking is available at select downtown parking garages.
Website: www.deckedoutdetroit.com/midway/
Address: 32 Monroe St., Detroit
Michigan Agricultural Services (Inkster)
We know this isn’t in Detroit, but the Black-owned business is planning to employ Detroiters, so it’s on the list.
Michigan Agricultural Services, or MAS, will be a commercial and infused cannabis grow-and-processing facility. It plans to operate as both a medical and recreational marijuana facility. The groundbreaking for the 25,500-square-foot building began in late May.
Its goal, other than growing budding flowers, is to diversify the cannabis industry. MAS partnered with Isla Verde LLC to start hiring residents interested in working or growing starting earlier this month.
“We believe that in order for the cannabis industry to survive, it has to be diversified,” said Mark Stockdale of MAS. “It’s time for everybody to grow economically, and cannabis is a pathway for us to build wealth and invest in our communities.”
Website: https://islaverdesstaffing.com/employment
Address: 2615 Bayhan, Inkster
Good Cookies (Rosedale Park)
A cookie valhalla in northwest Detroit.
Jeffrey Gisstennar has a passion for sweet treats. The longtime Detroiter began baking cookies at home before opening a small cafe and bakery on Detroit’s northwest side. Gisstennar grew up in the Rosedale Park area, where his homemade cookie, breakfast and beverage cafe has opened.
Guests can expect traditional flavors like chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin and sugar cookies, but the local bakery also offers nontraditional treats like sweet potato and strawberry cookies, too.
Gisstennar won a Motor City Match grant to support the location, which he hopes becomes a space for Detroiters to study, socialize and eat delicious cookies. It celebrated its grand opening on June 18.
Website: www.JustEatGoodCookies.com
Address: 19007 W. McNichols, Detroit
Apparrellel (Downtown)
Multidisciplinary Detroit artist Amber Chene says her new pop-up shop, Apparrellel, will bring healing vibrations to the city of Detroit.
The creative collective, retail space and event production company is housed in the Cary Building on Broadway downtown. Chene and business partner Rome Italy will sell vintage, high fashion clothing that they handpicked from California with the intent of empowering BIPOC and LGBTQ+ professionals in Detroit.
“We are huge on sustainability, and we encourage people to also think about climate change and environmental justice when it comes to fashion,” Chene told BridgeDetroit. “Seventy percent of the dyes that large corporations use goes into our water, affecting many things. We believe in creating a future in fashion that will shape our world for the better.”
Website: www.ShopApparrellel.com
Address: 1301 Broadway St., Detroit