Detroit has experienced decades of economic decline, but there is also a rising tide of entrepreneurs committed to revitalizing the city. Kiva’s pilot program, Kiva Zip, which provides 0% interest loans to borrowers in the U.S. and Kenya, has enabled many driven Detroit entrepreneurs to start or grow their small local businesses.
Come take a tour of this historic city through some of the local businesses both new and old that give it character and charm at every corner:
Friday
1. Fresh Cut Detroit 3:00pm
Start your tour of Detroit at Fresh Cut Detroit to see Sarah’s expansive backyard garden of amazing flowers. Spanning multiple once-vacant lots behind her house, the fragrance of the flowers wafts through the entire neighborhood, drawing any passers-by near. Fresh Cut Detroit grows using sustainable methods in order to improve the health of the workers, neighbors, and the local soil.
Sarah’s customers are people who want to support the local movement, and who prefer not to expose themselves to the harsh chemicals that are often present on the flowers they bring into their homes. Take a walk through the rows and rows of beautiful flowers and take in the fresh scents of Detroit(spring through fall)!
Fresh Cut Detroit: 1760 W. Forest Ave Detroit, Michigan 48208
2. Sweet Potato Sensations 6:00 p.m.
Sweet Potato Sensations: 17337 Lahser Road Detroit, Michigan 48219
Cassandra’s Sweet Potato Sensations is can’t miss, with a mission to create everything physically possible with sweet potatoes. After making a sweet potato cookie recipe back in 1976 as a favor to her husband (since sweet potatoes were his favorite food), Cassandra realized that she had created something special.
Drop in here during the holiday season, but pick your timing carefully, there’s often a line around the block of people waiting to pick up Cassandra’s famous sweet potato pie!
Other great treats to try:
Sweet potato cookies in a ton of flavors, sweet potato cake with cream cheese icing and sweet potato cobbler.
Saturday
3. Eggs-TraOrdinary 9:00 a.m.
To start off your Saturday of adventuring through Detroit right, head over to Eggs-TraOrdinary for a unique breakfast experience of delicious and out of the ordinary breakfast selections. Home is where the heart is, and after having been born and raised in Detroit, there was nowhere else Kim could have imagined opening up her breakfast shop.
For your Saturday brunch, Kim offers a variety of delicious and eclectic options, including cedar planked salmon, peach stuffed french toast, egg scrambles and various unique sausages.
Eggs-TraOrdinary: currently catering but keep a look out for her new location coming soon!
4. Ocelot Print Shop 11:30 a.m.
Ocelot Print Shop is a community-minded screen-printing shop, which prides itself on providing a collaborative workspace for local community members.
With non-traditional educational classes and skill shares, along with a full service print shop, the shop is dedicated to finding sustainable solutions for problems both big and small.
Ocelot Print Shop: 3535 Cass Ave Detroit, Michigan 48201
Be sure to stop by and see what these artists are coming up with, and how they have all come together to collaborate and create a community through printing!
5. Mount Elliott Park Fun Shop 2:00 p.m.
Next stop is the Mount Elliott Park Fun Shop, located on the beautiful and newly developed East Detroit Riverwalk.
Richard was born and raised in the Detroit metro area, and he promotes local artisans through his shop by displaying their work to the many passers-by who have come to enjoy the riverwalk and Mt. Elliott Park.
He started his business last year because seeing people’s smiles as they help out local artists puts a smile on his face as well, and he wants to give these local artists and artisans a place to display their work.
Mount Elliott Park Fun Shop: 200 Mount Elliott, Unit 116, Detroit, Michigan 48207
Sunday
6. Trish’s Garage 11:00 a.m.
Sunday morning starts off in style at Trish’s Garage, a social and community based fashion store that provides image workshops, as well as clothing and accessories.
Trish’s Garage: be on the lookout for her pop-up locations, or check out her website here!
This is a boutique that helps students, recent grads, and young professionals put together the most stylish looks on a budget. Ebony and her sister began this business in 2007 to help recent graduates transition to the work world, without breaking the bank.
Ebony understands that looks aren’t everything, but your first impression (whether verbal or non-verbal) is important, and she wants to make sure that everyone is putting their best self forward!
7. Sister Pie 1:00 p.m.
“To me, sisterhood is the image of women (sisters, mothers, grandmothers, friends) gathering around a kitchen counter, pitting cherries and rolling out pie dough. Sisterhood is empathy and connection, mutual understanding, love. I believe in sisterhood of all interpretations — it informs my mission to be a socially conscious, nourishing, and giving human being”. -Lisa
Sister Pie: currently working at pop-up locations including Parker Street Market, and keep an eye out for her new storefront location opening across the street!
Sister Pie is a business you do not want to miss in downtown Detroit. This one-of-a-kind bakery makes seasonally inspired pies and cookies with original and unexpected flavor combinations that will blow your mind. The pies are made with fruits and berries that are currently being harvested from local farmers.
8. The Social Club Grooming Company 3:00 p.m.
Next, head on down to the fashionable Midtown Detroit to see Sebastian at the Social Club Grooming Company, a barbershop/salon in the center of Wayne State University’s main campus. Sebastian provides environmentally friendly and sustainable grooming services, health and beauty education to the metro Detroit community through socially responsible practices. While you’re there, have him teach you about the dangers of chemically harsh materials and waste that are typically used in this industry, and how to combat these problems!
The Social Club Grooming Company: 5272 3rd Ave Detroit, Michigan 48202
We hope you have enjoyed your tour through Detroit! Thank you for your interest in supporting these small businesses and the hardworking entrepreneurs who started them. Make a loan here if you are interested in supporting other small businesses around the United States!
