A halal-culinary adventure: Motor City Match winner, with deep community ties, celebrates restaurant opening ahead of Ramadan

Mayor Mike Duggan, Supreme Cafe owner Jamaal Muhammad | City of Detroit

By Great Lakes Wire Report

Mar 29, 2023

Supreme Café, a Detroit restaurant, bakery and catering service in the Bagley neighborhood, specializes in making food that is organic, gourmet and halal-friendly
The establishment has hosted more than 500 free food giveaways for the elderly, homeless and youth
Motor City Match has awarded $11.4M in cash grants, 84% of overall winners are minority-owned businesses and 74% women-owned
Supreme Café is the 146th brick-and-mortar businesses opened by Motor City Match

Today, a Detroit restaurant, bakery and catering service specializing in healthy, organic, and halal-friendly food, celebrated its grand opening with Mayor Mike Duggan, city leaders and community members just in time for Ramadan – a holy observance for Muslims where followers abstain from eating between sunrise and sunset. Supreme Café Founder, Jamaal Muhammad, was joined by Mayor Duggan, city officials and community members at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for his establishment, marking the 146th brick-and-mortar business opened by Motor City Match.

Muhammad migrated from Mississippi to Detroit in 2018 looking for opportunities to serve his community and achieve his entrepreneurial vision. In addition to providing healthy and wholesome food for the community, Muhammad said Supreme Café has a greater mission of providing employment and revitalization in the Bagley neighborhood where his establishment resides.

Muhammad notes some entrepreneurs struggle because they lose sight of how their business can benefit the community. It’s a constant reminder that influences Muhammad’s business practices.

“We give back to the community because the community has given so much to us," said Muhammad. "If you can focus on the people, it doesn’t matter what obstacles or hurdles come into your life. That's why we must continue serving, teaching, inspiring and motivating the people."

Aside from offering quality cuisines including hearty soups and sandwiches, organic desserts and fresh fruit smoothies, Supreme Café hosts free food giveaways for the homeless, elderly and youth in the area. The giveaways were Muhammad’s way of giving back to the community during the Covid-19 pandemic. Since 2020, Supreme Café has hosted more than 500 food giveaways.

“One of the great things about Motor City Match is that it doesn't just help entrepreneurs open their business, in many cases it helps them fulfill their personal mission. Muhammad has a mission to serve,” said Duggan. “Now that his business is open, he is still serving the community by hiring residents from the surrounding neighborhood. I am so proud of Muhammad and the positive change he is helping to bring to Wyoming Avenue and the Bagley Community.”

The business, located at 18111 Wyoming Ave., was awarded a $35,000 grant from Motor City Match that went toward building renovations.

“Supreme Café is helping to deepen connections and strengthen roots in the Bagley neighborhood,” said Motor City Match Program Director Andrew Lucco. “Jamaal is a shining example of the impact we desire our awardees to have on the community.”

After 21 rounds, Motor City Match has distributed $11.4 million in grants for start-ups and new businesses located throughout the city of Detroit. Through the pipeline of resources provided by the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation’s small business teams, more than 1,600 businesses have received assistance along their journey to open their doors. This is all part of the organization’s greater goal to enhance the city’s economic development and beautify its commercial corridors.

Motor City Match continues to grow Detroit’s small-business landscape. Combined with its other small business programming, DEGC is creating a sustainable small business environment that nurtures new concepts and ideas. Motor City Match offers business owners a wide range of assistance in five tracks: Plan, Develop, Design, Cash and Restore. The program helps Detroit entrepreneurs plan, formalize, launch, and grow their business by providing business planning classes, site-selection assistance, financial planning, legal aid, design services, and gap funding.

Through 21 rounds of Motor City Match:

Total cash grants: $11.4 million (Total leveraged investment: $61.6 million)
Total business open: 145
84 percent are minority-owned businesses
74 percent are women-owned businesses
69 percent are businesses owned by Detroit residents

About Motor City Match

Motor City Match is a unique partnership between the City of Detroit, the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation (DEGC), the Economic Development Corporation of the City of Detroit (EDC) and the U.S. Department of the Treasury through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Competitive financial assistance is supported by a broad partnership of Southeast Michigan community development financial institutions and corporations including, Bank of America, Fifth Third Bank, Ford Foundation, Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Foundation, Hudson Webber Foundation, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Knight Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, New Economy Initiative, and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Motor City Match applications are available quarterly. More information is available at www.MotorCityMatch.com

Original source can be found here.

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