Metro Detroit’s LGBTQ+-owned businesses to check out

By Randiah Camille Green on Fri, Jun 2, 2023 at 11:35 am

Sure, we do live for a good drag show at a neighborhood gay bar, but there are so many other ways to support LGBTQ+ businesses. From thrift stores to bakeries and restaurants, here are 20 queer-owned businesses to patronize beyond just June.

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Courtesy of Tiesha King

Thrift Witch
108 César E. Chávez Ave., Lansing | facebook.com/ThriftWitchVintage

This spooky Lansing shop sells goth clothing, home decor, accessories, and art from local artists. It specializes in dark art, witchy wares, and oddities. The owner is also the vice president of Lansing Pride.

Instagram / @strangematterco

Strange Matter Coffee
2010 E. Michigan Ave. #103, Lansing | 337 S. Washington Square, Lansing | strangemattercoffee.com

Lansing’s Strange Matter Coffee offers brown sugar cardamom lattes, espresso, and non-caffeinated drinks. The real treat, however, is the bakery stocked with vegan donuts, cinnamon rolls, and scones. The shop has two locations in Lansing — one in the downtown area and its flagship on E. Michigan (The store wrote on Instagram that for the entire month of June, they'll be raising money for Salus Center — Lansing's only LGBTQIA+ community center.)

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Facebook / Constellation Cat Cafe

Constellation Cat Cafe
3320 E. Lake Lansing Rd., East Lansing | constellationcatcafe.com

Cat cafes are all the rage in Japan, but there’s one in Lansing too. It’s exactly what it sounds like — a cat rescue where you can adopt a forever friend and grab a coffee or milkshake. The kitties are in a separate room from the cafe itself, so no worries about getting cat hair in your latte.

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Dy-Min Johnson and Jessica Minnick of Not Sorry Goods

Courtesy of Not Sorry Goods

Not Sorry Goods

22963 Woodward Ave., Ferndale | notsorrygoods.com
Stop by this women-, Black-, and Latinx-owned clothing shop in Ferndale for all your fly upcycled needs. The shop is known for its “not sorry” gear with embroidered slogans like “Black not sorry” and “Queer not sorry.” It also sells vintage clothing, candles, and more.

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Facebook / Good Cakes and Bakes

Good Cakes and Bakes
19363 Livernois Ave., Detroit | goodcakesandbakes.com

This Detroit bakery has been slinging sweets on the Avenue of Fashion since 2013. Some of their popular cake slices include red velvet, strawberry crunch, and hummingbird. Many of their cookies, brownies, and other treats are also available in vegan versions.

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Courtesy photo

Avalon Canfield
441 W. Canfield St., Detroit | avalonbreads.net

Avalon’s flagship cafe opened in Detroit’s Cass Corridor in 1997 and became an instant neighborhood staple. It’s since expanded to include five locations across metro Detroit. The original bakery on Willis has since moved around the corner to a shared space with Jolly Pumpkin, but it still has the sea salt chocolate chunk cookies and Poletown Rye bread we’ve come to love.

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Courtesy photo

Public Thrift
10237 Joseph Campau, Hamtramck | detroitpublicthrift.com

Hamtramck’s Public Thrift is not just another dusty thrift store — it’s a worker-owned shop with a well-curated selection and incredibly fair prices. It’s also queer-, woman-, and Black-owned. Every month Public Thrift partners with a different community organization that customers can donate to by rounding up their total. Go for their monthly “fill a bag” weekend where you can get as much as you can cram in a bag for $10.

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Bobcat Bonnie’s/Facebook

Bobcat Bonnie’s
1800 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-962-1383 | 118 Sycamore St., Wyandotte; 734-530-1806 | bobcatbonnies.com

Brunch fave Bobcat Bonnie’s got its start serving fruity pebbles pancakes in Corktown and now has seven locations from Detroit to Toledo. They also serve cocktails, lunch, and dinner with plenty of vegan and gluten free options.

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Be The Light
bethelight222.com

Be The Light is a clothing brand by Detroit artist Blight Hernandez. Hernandez describes himself as an “upcycle thrift maniac” who screen prints his graffiti style pop-art on vintage clothing and T-shirts blending Eastern spirituality with a grunge aesthetic. It seems like Hernandez is popping up somewhere different every weekend, so keep an eye on his Instagram or shop on his website.

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Facebook / Eli Tea Bar

Eli Tea Bar
108 S. Old Woodward Ave., Birmingham | eliteabar.com

Birmingham’s Eli Tea Bar specializes in loose leaf tea “aka good and proper tea,” as they call it. It also serves boba tea and has kombucha on tap. While its flagship is in Birmingham, Eli Tea has a second location in Chicago.

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Google Maps

Detroit Vegan Soul
19614 Grand River Ave., Detroit | detroitvegansoul.com

The food at Detroit Vegan Soul is so damn good. We don’t have anything clever to say, just try their tofu ribs, deep fried oyster mushrooms, or coconut bacon “BLT” and you’ll understand. Detroit Vegan Soul’s original location in West Village has closed, but they still offer carry-out at their Grandmont-Rosedale outpost.

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Photo via IG user @gigisgaybar

GiGi’s
16920 W. Warren Ave., Detroit | facebook.com/GigisDetroit

GiGi’s is another one of Detroit’s classic gay clubs, celebrating 50 years in 2023. The club hosts regular drag shows, lip sync smackdowns, and cabarets.

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Facebook / Unicorn Feed and Supply

Unicorn Feed and Supply
114 W. Michigan Ave., Ypsilanti | unicornfeedsupply.com

Unicorn Feed and Supply is a magical “happy place” in downtown Ypsilanti. The queer-woman-owned gift shop carries items like rainbow stationery, mermaid earrings, animal plushies, stickers, and more.

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Photo via The Royce Detroit/Facebook

The Royce
76 W. Adams Ave., Ste. A, Detroit | theroycedetroit.com

Downtown Detroit’s The Royce was named one of Wine Enthusiast’s 50 Best U.S. Wine Shops. Beyond a place to buy bottles of wine, it’s also a bar with cocktails, and a small selection of craft beers, non-alcoholic drinks, and charcuterie.

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(Photo via Yelp, Five15 Media Mojo and More)

Five15
600 S. Washington Ave., Royal Oak | five15.net

Five15 is the place to go when you’re looking for a good time. The venue is most known for its wildly popular (and hilarious) drag queen bingo, drag queen trivia, and drag brunch. During the day it doubles as a cafe.

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Courtesy photo

Pronto!
608 S. Washington Ave., Royal Oak | prontodiner.com

Pronto! is owned by the same folks behind Five15, who acquired the building in 2020. The bar-restaurant originally opened in 1991 and, combined with neighboring Five15, has turned the entire corner of Washington and 6th Street into an LGBTQ+ entertainment hub. Pronto! offers comfort food, weekend brunch, and drinks with a dog-friendly patio.

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Cafe Muse / Facebook

Café Muse
418 S. Washington Ave., Royal Oak; 248-544-4749 | cafemuseroyaloak.com

When something as simple as a grilled cheese sandwich gets the attention of Esquire magazine and Gayle King, you know it’s good. Café Muse’s grilled cheese was named one of the “best sandwiches in America” by the magazine in 2008, but it isn’t the only good thing on the menu. The Royal Oak diner is also popular for brunch items like lemon ricotta pancakes and smoked salmon scramble.

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@ Menjos Gay Entertainment Complex

Menjos Entertainment Complex
950 W. McNichols Rd., #928, Detroit | menjoscomplexdetroit.com

Longstanding queer dance club Menjos has been part of Detroit’s gay scene since the 1970s. It’s one of the last remnants of Palmer Park’s heyday as a bustling gayborhood.

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Lee DeVito

Temple Bar
2906 Cass Ave., Detroit | facebook.com/TempleBarDetroit

For a place to kick back with chill drinks and vibes, check out Cass Corridor hangout Temple Bar. It hosts monthly parties nearly every weekend with resident DJs.

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