Minority Owned Businesses – Grand Rapids
Are you someone humanitarian or just simply a human who really cares about where your money goes? Well, we are too! That is why Wander West Michigan took the time to make this list for you of minority-owned businesses in the area that you can support and feel good about it! Enjoy different dining, shopping, sipping and other fun locations dedicated to uplifting the voices of the global majority in their business dreams and successes. Feel free to save this post as a reminder or something you can share around with friends who also care, like you!
Thanks for being an awesome human and we hope this list helps you make a difference and enjoy your life a bit more, too.
Disclaimer: Affiliate links are used, which means if you purchase via my link, I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you! I only recommend products I use and love!
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Dining & Drinks
40 Acres Soul Kitchen
40 Acres Soul Kitchen is a celebration of Black America in the form of its soul – food! The owners are Grand Rapidians themselves and aim to nourish the community with their soul food that honors not only the rich history of Black America, but the rich and delicious food developed over years of grueling hard work, resilience and creativity despite all the odds. Food with origins like that is going to be life changing, so head on down to the Soul Kitchen – where they don’t just feed your belly, they feed your soul.
Tupelo Honey Southern Kitchen & Bar
With weekday happy hours from 3-5:30 to their pet-friendly patio and option to take out, this southern kitchen is worth every penny you spend here! The food is the perfect mouth-watering soul food you need, with options for spicy, sweet, or a little bit of both. Fried chicken and waffles, fancy soups and bisques, appetizers, drinks! Literally, what more could you ask for in a dinner experience?
Dine in or out, you are sure to be satisfied and your taste buds will thank you.
Coffee
Eden Cafe (Black Owned)
This minority-owned business is one of the best coffee shops in town! Not at many places can you get a delicious flight of 3 drinks, called the Good Vibes Elixir Trio, as well as an amazing atmosphere, cool merchandise and even their special recipe Eden Waffles. You can only get those on select days, but they are SO worth it. See the schedule below to plan your visit to this nature-inspired and calming Eden Cafe.
*Schedule: All day on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday After 10:30 AM on Monday and Wednesday. Select weekends. Call (616) 287-4604 to check schedules!
Has Heart Coffee Shop (Veteran, Black Owned)
Grab your tissues, because this Coffee shop origin story might make you cry! Michael and Tyler came together originally as a veteran and an artist to help other veterans tell their story through art. From that original project came their coffee shop – which not only serves delicious coffee, but gives back to the community of those who really need it. Go support a veteran today AND enjoy a delicious beverage knowing you did something good.
Happy Cat Cafe (LGBTQ OWNED)
This aptly named cafe serves as a happy place for cat and coffee people alike. Enjoy a delicious beverage and snack, while also enjoying playing with the resident cats. You may even witness an adoption or – perhaps be tempted yourself!
Shopping
Bead and Powwow Supply
If you’re looking for Indigenous authenticity, Ellie Mitchell is the owner and an Anishinaabek member of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan. She originally started as an online shop in 2011, offering more access to Indigenous artists across the continent, whether it’s beads, fabric, or apparel – as well as anyone who wants to support Indigenous-owned products. Plus, everything is just beautiful, so without all the extra goodies, it is just good stuff! Enjoy a variety of items from oils, spiritual supplies, and crafts to clothing, journals, and books! Lots of interesting items to explore with a good cause behind it.
Woosah (LGBTQ Owned)
Owner Erica Lang uses designs inspired by her love of nature and wooded textures to create an apparel and art brand that is uniquely her own and makes a name for itself in the Grand Rapids art scene. She desires for the name of her business alone to invoke a sense of calmness and peace, so her merchandise has that same goal! Buy art designs, clothes, journals, and other unique items you won’t find anywhere else.
Fox Naturals (LGBTQ Owned)
Fox Naturals is a beautiful space with botanical products and perfumes to match. Enjoy high-quality oils, bath products, locally sourced items, and all sorts of unique apparel and merchandise perfect for a bohemian type of spirit – or anyone who enjoys good smells and an aesthetic shopping spree. This ethereally decorated shop is sure to have something for everyone who enjoys the finer things in life.
Unique
Chez Olga
This one-of-a-kind Caribbean restaurant is not only an architectural phenomenon but a culinary one as well. With stunning ethereal vibes both insides and out, combined with the delicious Caribbean food – it is an entire experience. Have a whole meal or just an appetizer or two… or three.. Either way, sit and stay a while to get away from the world and nourish your body with this deliciously curated Caribbean cuisine located conveniently in Grand Rapids.
STEM Greenhouse (Nonprofit, Family Friendly)
This find is unique in that it is really for the kids – an educational after school program as well as summer camps and programs, this nonprofit aims to teach marginalized and at risk youth, as well as any child who desires, the skills they need to thrive in life. With unique subjects like agriculture and urban farming, like their SAGE program – life science programming engaging middle school students in educational programming
that promotes confidence and proficiency in life science through a practical, applied science curriculum featuring sustainable agriculture, gardening, and ecology.
With multiple programs, scholarships, and a program that serves all school-aged children, this program is great to support even if you don’t have kids of your own to enroll!
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Logan Imber
Logan Imber is a self taught Freelance Digital Marketer & Copywriter currently located in Ohio, but works remotely for clients all over the world. She also dabbles in Graphic Design, Web Design and Music. She doesn't like to pin herself down, as there is always something to learn, a culture to take in or new food to eat. In her free time, Logan likes reading, yoga, and spending time with her beloved cat. She also loves playing and sharing music with others. Essentially, most of her time is either spent writing, contemplating, or creating something - and she wouldn't have it any other way.
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