Hatch Detroit has helped launch several great businesses including La Feria, Sister Pie, Batch Detroit, and Baobab Fare. Recently, they crowned a new winner who will join this illustrious roster, Little Liberia.
The pop-up restaurant won the top prize of $100,000 to help open a brick-and-mortar location. The annual contest supports brick-and-mortar business growth in Detroit, Highland Park, and Hamtramck. When Little Liberia opens up its storefront, it will be the only Liberian restaurant in all of Michigan.
Ameneh Marhaba, the owner, describes Liberian cuisine as very flavorful and full of spices. While some dishes can be quite spicy, they are paired with items like plantains to make them more balanced. Rice and fufu (a dough-like food) are frequently eaten with their stewed dishes. One of her signature dishes is the seafood Palm butter which is a seafood stew with lots of rich umami flavors, with a hint of spice, that is traditionally eaten with a bit of fufu.
Marhaba started her business by doing pop-up events in 2016. It was a way for her to make money and share a bit of her culture with Detroit. Now with a brick-and-mortar restaurant on the way, she will only be able to spread her love of Liberian food further.
“For me, it’s not just another business,” says Marhaba. “It’s built on something really big for me. Like my dad sold everything he had and brought us to this country to start over and have a good life, and being able to get to this point and make him proud... I feel like I am making my country proud, and I feel like I’m bringing my culture to Detroit.”
If you want to try her food, look for Little Liberia on Instagram where she will post her pop-up events and keep you apprised on what’s coming up next. Little Liberia’s next pop-up will be at Frame in Hazel Park on September 10th and 11th.