Black History Month is a time where we celebrate all the accomplishments African Americans have achieved. Detroit is chock full of incredible black-owned businesses and we’re excited to shine a spotlight on a few making waves here in the 313. Whether you’re looking to escape in a new book, find your new favorite bottle of wine, or treat yourself to a cupcake or expertly brewed cup of coffee, these local spots have you covered.
Focusing primarily on non-fiction, Source Booksellers has been operating in Detroit since 2002, moving to their current location in the Auburn Building in 2013.
“It is nice that it is a small place, African American owned and the owner is very tied into the books that are there and also the history of Detroit. Everything was a win for me.” – Michael P
Seventeen different flavored wings from Caribbean jerk to the spicy K.O. to parmesan garlic, there’s a flavor for everyone at City Wings. Round out your order with some delectable sides like four cheese macaroni, rice and beans, and fried okra and you’ve got the ultimate dinner.
“I got K.O and my boyfriend got garlic and parmesan traditional wings while we were there, and Phew, dudes, and gals, don’t do the K.O flavor unless you are a daredevil that has the tongue that can drink pepper juice that’s spicier than the ghost pepper juice. I thought I was a tough shit with spice wings until I tried the K.O flavor, and let me tell you, it was so GOOD and so spicy that I could only finish 4 out of 15 wings.” – Sihui L.
Priding themselves on a “stress free” coffee experience, Narrow Way’s motto is, “to serve people, to love people and to always be there for people” and it shows in the care they put into their coffee and customer service. Download their app to pre-order for a grab and go experience or to take advantage of their loyalty program.
“This is a super cute coffee shop with great coffee and amazing service! The staff here is super friendly and you just feel at home. Every customer is personally welcomed in such a genuinely friendly way.” – Jesus E
Right in the heart of downtown on Woodward Avenue is this expertly curated wine shop. Come in to discover your new favorite vino or join them for one of their special events like jazz brunch or yoga. Are you a real connoisseur? Join their monthly wine club for a steady supply of their favorite bottles from around the world.
“This place was great. We went into the tasting room and got to try a few different wines…The wine in the store is sorted by origin, and they have a really good selection, even of Michigan wines.” – Blaise B
Good Cakes and Bakes features a wide organic treats as well as variety of vegan options including cupcakes, cookies, breakfast pastries and more. They’ve been operating in their Livernois neighborhood shop since 2013 and have had the honor of baking for not just their community but for the James Beard Awards and A listers like Oprah Winfrey.
“Hands down amazing! I went because of all of the positive reviews and was happy I did. I asked about vegan options: red velvet cupcake (tastes like love), chocolate cupcake (wasn’t super rich with dark chocolate), two types of cookies, a carrot cake, cinnamon roll and an amazing brownie that my non-vegan sister fell in love with.” – Jamie C
Have a favorite black-owned business you’d like to give a shout out to? Share it with the community here.
