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A downtown Detroit doughnut shop named for deceased rapper J. Dilla can stay in business after hundreds of donors stepped up to help it raise money needed to pay off debts.
Dilla's Delights owner Herman Yancey, J. Dilla's uncle, launched a GoFundMe Dec. 22 to help keep the shop afloat. A battle with cancer and high business expenses, Yancey said, had caused him to fall behind on bills, and he was forced to close the shop for a month.
By Friday, the campaign had surpassed its $15,000, with more than $16,400 raised from 500 donors.
The popular Harmonie Park shop sells doughnuts direct to its customers and in bulk to other businesses.
Yancey said the business has been bogged down by transporatation, rent, insurance and permitting costs. The store has separate retail and production locations. It's goal, Yancey says, is to consolidate operations in a larger space with help from grants and/or investors.
For now, Dilla's Delights is back open with limited hours. An employee says for the coming weeks, doughnuts will be on sale from 7 a.m. — 5 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, or whenever they run out.
