DETROIT – Small businesses often develop strong connections to the neighborhood that surrounds them. But for a new coffee shop in Detroit’s Rosedale Park neighborhood, that connection already exists.
The coffee shop is named after a woman who left her mark on Rosedale in a way few others ever have.
“Rosa” has become the newest and only Black-owned coffee shop in the Rosedale area.
The coffee shop on Grand River Avenue has a lot of sentimental value.
The inside of the shop is extraordinary because of one remarkable woman in the area.
“It’s also like grandma’s house,” said Co-Owner, Charity Dean. “We want you to come in and feel comfortable and feel at home.”
The shop will be working with local businesses to bring coffee and other food to the area on a bigger platform.
“We are bringing in locally roasted coffee, so we are going to work with a company called Foust House,” Dean said. “It’s in the area. Black-owned coffee company.”
The Shop’s namesake is labeled after Dean’s grandmother, Rosa Malone.
“This is Rosa,” Dean said. “Her and my great grandfather Elijah really were pioneers and trailblazers in this neighborhood.”
Rosa Malone spent 44 years in the Grandmont Rosedale Community and faced serious discrimination when she first moved in.
“My great grandmother bought a house in Rosedale park in 1973,” Dean said. “They were the second Black family to move into the neighborhood, and their journey into the neighborhood wasn’t easy. She endured lots of stress and trauma. Folks didn’t want her moving into the neighborhood.”
But now, her legacy will be carried on with every cup of coffee poured in Rosedale Park.
“She loved this neighborhood,” Dean said. “It was important for me to continue her legacy and to remember what she stood for and what she went through. Also, we want for this cafe to represent good neighbors.”
The coffee shop is planning to work hand in hand in the community to make it better.
A grand opening is scheduled for Saturday, June 11, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
