DETROIT – One of the biggest draws at the Burgess Street Food Festival in Detroit this week was a relic from the past.
“Everyone that’s came up is like ‘oh I was born and raised on Dot and Etta’s, where have you been?’ It’s totally humbling,” said Donald Crawford of Dot & Etta’s Shrimp Hut.
For close to 60 years Dot and Etta’s in Detroit served up delicious, battered and seasoned fried shrimp.
“It’s a secret family recipe that was developed back in the 40s,” said Donald.
Dot and Etta’s Shrimp Huts closed their last location in 2010. Now the family is hosting pop up at festivals across the city.
“It’s the sights, the sounds, the smells, the taste,” said Dwayne Crawford. “This is Detroit. We feel fortunate and very blessed to be a part of it.”
The brothers of Dot & Etta’s Shrimp Hut are considering expanding to include a food truck or even opening a new brick-and-mortar location.
“My aunt gave us this food. My grandfather used to treat us to this food. Ya know my brother and I were so busy in the basement all of the time that we weren’t really aware of what a positive impact it had,” said Dwayne.
As one of the first successful black-owned businesses in Detroit the family legacy now includes the fourth generation.
“We were fortunate to become a part of the fabric of the city in the 60s and 70s and it’s because of the hard work that came before us,” said Dwayne.
“To honor the legacy of the people who that came before us and we love that our mom sees that we continue to work hard and do it right like she says,” said Donald.