A Creole restaurant with entertainment, a fitness center and a provider of technology services for Detroit Public Schools are among 13 businesses splitting $500,000 in grants from the Motor City Match Fund. Women own 10 of the firms.
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan launched the two-year-old initiative with the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation. It has distributed $3.4 million to 74 local businesses and helped more than 500 entrepreneurs with site selection, finance searches, business plan development and marketing.
The website describes the program this way:
Motor City Match connects new and expanding businesses with Detroit’s quality real estate opportunities, providing them with funding and tools to fuel the city’s entrepreneurial revolution.
To date, 17 businesses have opened after receiving Motor City Match assistance and 23 more are under construction, a press release said.
“We are seeing more and more businesses open up along our neighborhood commercial strips, which is exactly we created Motor City Match to do,” Duggan says in a statement. “We are creating a new culture of entrepreneurism where Detroiters are realizing their dream of opening their own businesses to provide residents access to more goods and services, as well as job opportunities in the neighborhoods.”
These firms get grants from $20,000 to $65,000:
- SpaceLab Detroit: Co-working space for real estate professionals, 607 Shelby St. $55,000
- IC Data Communications: Technology services. 7404 Dexter. $50,000
- Coyote Hawk Design Center: Co-working space for creative professionals, 3106 Bellevue St. $45,000
- Skin Bar VII: Skin care spa, 18951 Livernois. $45,000
- Soul 2 Go: Take-out food. 9900 Whittier. $35,000
- MI Frozen Food: Food processor and distributor. 1820 Mack Ave. $35,000
- Naturally Glamourous Salon: Hair and nail salon. 19151 Grand River. $30,000
- Paralee Boyd Salon. Blow-dry hair salon. 3939 Woodward Ave. $30,000
- Boulevard Kitchen: Restaurant. 2641 W. Grand Blvd. $25,000
- Sfumato Fragrances: Fragrance maker and boutique. 3980 Second Ave. $20,000
- Detroit Blows: Blow-dry hair salon. 1234 Library St. $20,000
- Gabriel Hall: A New Orleans-style restaurant with Creole cuisine and live music. 8002 Kercheval in West Village. $65,000
- Fit4Life Health: Fitness training and gym.19522 West McNichols Rd.. $45,000.
