Motor City Match awards $1.3 million in grants to 32 small businesses

A total of 32 new or existing businesses in Detroit will share in $1.3 million in cash grants awarded Wednesday through the city’s Motor City Match program.

The announcement Wednesday marks the 21st round of the program that supports entrepreneurs. Among the new businesses are a community-owned grocery store, a construction trades training center and a fabric and upholstery store.

“The impact Motor City Match is having on neighborhoods across the city is remarkable,” Mayor Mike Duggan said in a statement Wednesday. “Neighborhoods that have lacked basic services and amenities for years are now seeing a real diversity of high-quality businesses opening along their commercial corridors, within walking distance of many residents. This program has been a major part of our strategy to strengthen and rebuild our neighborhoods.”

The bulk of the grant funding, $965,000, will help 17 new businesses to open brick-and-mortar locations in the city. The rest, $341,000, will help 15 existing businesses make improvements to their spaces. The grants for the existing businesses were made possible through funding from the American Rescue Plan Act, officials said.

An additional 48 businesses were awarded technical assistance, including business services, workshops and one-on-one consulting.

Of the awardees, 74% are minority-owned businesses, 60% are women-owned and 68% of the businesses are owned by Detroit residents, officials said.

The new businesses to receive cash grants are:

Irby Enterprises Company D.B.A. Balance & Flow Yoga Studio $25,000A + Fabrics LLC $35,000Boarding House Hospitality - Adelaide's Superette $40,000Our Gathering Place $40,000The Red Hook, New Center LLC. DBA The Red Hook Midtown $45,000The Wildemere LLC $50,000Channel One Event Venue $50,000Youthnique $50,000Hope for Flowers L3C $55,000Natural-ish, LLC $65,000TT Sip-n-Read $65,000Detroit Future Ops $65,000House Of African Prints $70,000Al-Ahmed Halal Processing LLC $75,000Dream Estates $75,000Canfield Consortium $75,000Neighborhood Grocery LLC $85,000

The existing businesses to receive restore cash grants are:

Omnia, Inc. DBA NINE Design + Homes $25,000Good Cookies, LLC $21,390Good Times on the Ave, LLC $25,000Good Cakes and Bakes $25,000VMX International, LLC $25,000Sherwood Forest Art Gallery LLC $25,000Dymond Designs Beauty School $25,000Brewery Faisan $25,000The Turkey Grill $25,000Lush Yummies Pie Company LLC $18,000Megan M Faircloth DDS PLLC/Harbortown Dental Care $25,000The Trap Yoga and Massage Studio $10,750Celebrity Carwash $22,000Gigi’s Birdcage LLC $25,000Audio Engineers of Detroit $19,000