After nearly a decade without a new grocery store in Detroit, Raphael Wright opened the city’s only Black-owned grocery store in 2023 to bring fresh, healthy food options back to underserved neighborhoods.
The 34-year-old farmer and entrepreneur from the Jefferson-Chalmers area spent six years converting a former liquor store at 500 Manistique Street into Neighborhood Grocery. Community members helped select the products and saw their names featured in the store’s design.
Raphael Wright shared what motivated him. “I’m from the neighborhoods I work in, and I want to make them better. They were good at one point, and I want to bring back that glory.”
His store stands as more than a place to shop. It represents a step toward healthier families and renewed pride in the community he calls home.
