From online orders to downtown: Motor City Match winner perseveres to bring southern brunch to Detroit

• Having been forced to pivot during COVID-19 pandemic, Sugah Please owner Wendy Ringo has made her dream of opening Sugah Please in the heart of Detroit a reality
• Sugah Please offers soulful dishes, decadent desserts, craft cocktails and espresso-based drinks for its customers
• $45,000 grant supported Ringo's journey; establishment creates 12 jobs filled by 10 Detroit residents
• Motor City Match has awarded $19.1M in cash grants; 85% of overall winners are minority-owned businesses, 70% are women-owned and 67% are owned by Detroit residents

Detroit Deputy Mayor Todd Bettison and the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation (DEGC) today marked the grand opening of Sugah Please, a breakfast brunch bar located in Detroit's Financial District. This marks the 174th Motor City Match business to open in the city of Detroit.

Supported by a $45,000 Motor City Match grant, Sugah Please owner and native Detroiter Wendy Ringo had to update, pivot and refresh her vision for the business as she navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. The journey to becoming a brick-and-mortar location in Detroit may have included some extra twists and turns, but the Round 19 awardee remained committed to seeing her business.

Ringo initially planned to open Sugah Please, named after a traditional southern term of endearment, in Detroit's Jefferson-Chalmers neighborhood. Instead, she launched delivery orders for coffees, teas and sweets. This approach built a strong online following that supported her when she opened a location at Twelve Oaks Mall in Novi. After a successful year there, Ringo set her sights on fulfilling her original goal: bringing Sugah Please to Detroit.

"I intended on being in Detroit from the very beginning, but we had to pivot during Covid. I couldn't rest until we found our traction in the city. Detroit is who I am, and Detroit is who I'll forever be," Ringo said. "This is a story of persevering; I think we represent the grit of the city."

Deputy Mayor Bettison congratulates Wendy Ringo on the opening of Sugah Please.Business owner Wendy Ringo gives Deputy Mayor Bettison a tour of her restaurant.

Another way Sugah Please has transitioned is in its edible offerings. Ringo originally intended for the establishment to serve coffees, teas and sweet treats, but quickly learned that her customers were ready for even more.

"My customers always seemed to want something else - they wanted food. I wasn't really thinking of that when I first started," Ringo said. "Being here now and seeing the final product, I'm just in awe - it has been a journey. You must have persistence and tenacity, and a vision for the direction you want your business to go."

Inspired by her family's southern roots, Sugah Please offers soulful breakfast and brunch dishes, decadent desserts, craft cocktails, and espresso-based drinks. The establishment intends to partner with other Michigan- and Detroit-based suppliers to add more offerings to the menu. It is currently working with 8 Mile Vodka and Flint-based Blondie's Best Cheesecake Ever.

Council President Sheffield presents business owner Wendy Ringo with a Spirit of Detroit Award.

"Sugah Please is exactly the kind of business we love to see in Detroit," said Deputy Mayor Bettison. "It's not just about great food and drinks - it's about creating jobs for Detroiters and supporting other local businesses. This is how we build a stronger, more connected city. And with Sugah Please just a short walk from City Hall, you can bet I'll be stopping by for coffee and one of those soulful breakfast dishes. It's great to see Wendy's dream come to life right here in the heart of downtown."

Located at 150 W Jefferson Ave. Suite 125, Sugah Please currently has 12 employees, including 10 Detroit residents, and is actively looking to hire more. The new breakfast and brunch spot will soft-open Sept. 16-22, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., with a limited menu. Starting Sept. 23, it will offer its full menu Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-5 p.m., and Saturday-Sunday, 8 a.m.-3 p.m.

"Sugah Please is a true tale of the determination, grit and perseverance we see in Detroit's small business owners," said Sean Gray, vice president of Small Business Services at the DEGC, which manages the Motor City Match program. "We love Wendy's passion for Detroit, and we are thrilled to have supported her throughout the journey that brought Sugah Please back home to Detroit."

Through 27 rounds of Motor City Match:  
• Total cash grants: $19.1 million (Total leveraged investment: $102.7 million)  
• 85 percent are minority-owned businesses  
• 70 percent are women-owned businesses  
• 67 percent are businesses owned by Detroit residents

About Motor City Match  
Motor City Match is a unique partnership between the City of Detroit, the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation (DEGC), the Economic Development Corporation of the City of Detroit (EDC) and the U.S. Department of the Treasury through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Competitive financial assistance is supported by a broad partnership of Southeast Michigan community development financial institutions and corporations including, Bank of America, Fifth Third Bank, Ford Foundation, Hudson Webber Foundation, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Knight Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, New Economy Initiative, and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Motor City Match applications are available quarterly. More information is available at.MotorCityMatch.com.   

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