Lafayette foods update!!!

**LafayetteFoods** · May-16-11, 05:30 PM

Attention friends and future customers of Lafayette Foods!!! We are getting very close to opening for business. As you read this the final steps to opening are being completed. We are very excited to meet and service our customers and community. Spread the word, tell your friends and family, LAFAYETTE FOODS OPENING VERY SOON!!

Lafayette Foods is now online. Visit our website, http://www.lafayettefoods.com/, to submit requests and comments, apply online, and learn more about us. Also found on our website are exciting promotional coupons sponsored by Spartan Stores. Just click "turn to spartan" to learn more. The website will eventually display the store's current sale ad and in store specials. Keep it in your favorites and check back often.

**stasu1213** · May-16-11, 06:09 PM

Make sure that flyers or emails would go out to all who work downtown. Ask The RenCen, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Quicken Loans, Compuware, and other offices if you could send brochures or advertisments to them for their employees

**stasu1213** · May-20-11, 05:41 PM

Some friends want to know will you be open before memorial day?

**LafayetteFoods** · May-21-11, 11:48 PM

Hi stasu1213, I don’t think we will make it before the holiday.

**stasu1213** · May-22-11, 12:04 AM

Originally Posted by LafayetteFoods

Hi stasu1213, I don’t think we will make it before the holiday.

Would had been the perfect time to open being that people would be barbequeing and would had came to your store to buy items. Just imaging the money that would had been made. Good luck

**English** · May-22-11, 12:30 AM

^ Definitely. Hope you're able to open before the fireworks. Best of luck!

**stasu1213** · May-22-11, 07:23 AM

I am not trying to rush you. I was under the impression that the market would had been open by early May. I know that you have to get everything in order but people I know had thought that "very soon" had meant the following week. The owner of Downtown Foodland had kept pushing back his date of opening and missing out on being open on key summer holidays and events resulting in a distrust from the surrounding community.

**LafayetteFoods** · May-22-11, 05:00 PM

Trust us this store won’t let the community down. Lafayette Foods is nothing close to the old guy, complete 360!

**downtownguy** · May-22-11, 05:46 PM

I'll be happy with 180. I peeked in the window last night and it was good to see merch on the shelves. But it was obvious you still had a ways to go because the refrigerated stuff wasn't stocked. Here's hoping it's soon! On a side note, Cottage Inn is moving out [[or has by now) of their space around the corner. I hear another pizza place is moving in. Mr. Lafayette Foods, perhaps you have some intel on that?

**trotwood** · May-22-11, 06:21 PM

Best of luck to you Layfette Foods!! I took a look at the website&it's very nicely done!Will there be a full service deli?
Congrats to you!!

**stasu1213** · May-22-11, 08:38 PM

Originally Posted by downtownguy

I'll be happy with 180. I peeked in the window last night and it was good to see merch on the shelves. But it was obvious you still had a ways to go because the refrigerated stuff wasn't stocked. Here's hoping it's soon! On a side note, Cottage Inn is moving out [[or has by now) of their space around the corner. I hear another pizza place is moving in. Mr. Lafayette Foods, perhaps you have some intel on that?

I had spoken to one of the employees at Sala Thai months ago. He had informed me that the rent was too high for the stores and restaurants in the strip mall.I hope that another pizza place would open in cottage pizzas stead. The mall has so much potential for it to be ignored for so long. I know that the economy is bad but the mall had started declining for years. The owner of the Paris Cafe and the video store was paying his bills on the place and had to shut down. The nightclub was a haven for violence and closed after the small fire that it had in 2009. City leaders pushes "Building a community" but is paying little attention to Lafayette Park Mall's potential. I think that the businesses such as BCBS, General Motors, Compuware should adopt the park itself and put a better walkway through it so runners, joggers, and walkers even who probably work at one of the companies could use the park. Host some baseball of volleyball games there; one company playing against the other

**stasu1213** · May-22-11, 08:43 PM

Originally Posted by LafayetteFoods

Trust us this store won’t let the community down. Lafayette Foods is nothing close to the old guy, complete 360!

I understand and the best of luck to you. I just didn't want to see delay after delay after delay with the promises of great thing is going to happen.

**stasu1213** · May-30-11, 12:38 PM

When is the opening date for the market. I as well as others in the area would like to know. My neighbor had asked two weeks ago and was told that the market will be open in 9 days. I see that you are stocked but no signs of opening soon as you had informed us. The market as Lafayette and Chene has too many troublemakers hanging around it for me to stop at and I as well as others are forced to go into the suburbs to shop. I would want to hear "Opening Very Soon" for that is what most businesses in Detroit uses on their signs posted on their doors and take months to open. Please let the community know what is going on. I speak for myself

**English** · May-30-11, 01:05 PM

^This is probably totally inappropriate for a thread promoting a particular store, but while you're waiting on Lafayette Foods to re-open, there are other safe, 'hood-free options for groceries in the neighborhood. I'm looking forward to having LF there, but between Eastern Market, all the stores around it, and Harbortown Market near home... and Goodwell's, Kim's, and Avalon near work, I haven't bought any substantial groceries in the 'burbs since the beginning of the month. So there are some decent options within walking, biking, and public transit [[bus) distance from the CBD.

I'm really looking forward to seeing Lafayette Foods open, but personally, I want them to last when they do. I agree that it would be great if there could be a soft open on or before Fireworks Monday, though...

**stasu1213** · May-30-11, 01:48 PM

Originally Posted by English

^This is probably totally inappropriate for a thread promoting a particular store, but while you're waiting on Lafayette Foods to re-open, there are other safe, 'hood-free options for groceries in the neighborhood. I'm looking forward to having LF there, but between Eastern Market, all the stores around it, and Harbortown Market near home... and Goodwell's, Kim's, and Avalon near work, I haven't bought any substantial groceries in the 'burbs since the beginning of the month. So there are some decent options within walking, biking, and public transit [[bus) distance from the CBD.

I'm really looking forward to seeing Lafayette Foods open, but personally, I want them to last when they do. I agree that it would be great if there could be a soft open on or before Fireworks Monday, though...

I agree that there are some Markets nearby but some of them closes at 7pm. I don't know where the Goodwells market is at. I was also echoing the concerns of those who live in the area but are not on this site. I wish the best for Lafayette Foods too. I was hoping that the market would open by the end of the month especially when he had said very soon. I am sure that he would be sucessful when the market open. There are many people who don't have a car to get to some of the markets in the nearby areas that are not walking distance. I love Kim's but she is limited on what she sells

**stasu1213** · May-30-11, 02:21 PM

I dont mean to be pushy. I just didn't want to see a potential thriving market to lose out. I am glad that Lance is willing to open a market in the area as well as Dan Gilbert is willing to put prime retail in downtown Detroit. This time next year downtown Detroit will start on an upswing and a more enjoyable place to be in from residentail to shopping. Good Luck Lance

**LafayetteFoods** · May-31-11, 10:50 PM

Sorry too everyone for the short delay. I am proud to say Lafayette Foods will be open Monday June 6th 2011 8:00am. Please remember if you have any suggestions, concerns, or questions during or after your shopping experience let us know.
Thank You
Lance lafayettefoods@gmial.com

**LafayetteFoods** · June-01-11, 05:38 PM

We will be opening Monday June 6th!!!

**English** · June-01-11, 10:34 PM

Congratulations! I will be sure to swing by. All the best to you.

**stasu1213** · June-03-11, 04:51 PM

Good luck on your opening Monday! You are mentioned on Freep. Remember; no jitneys should hang around the store and have the mall security patrol the mall for panhandlers. Keep it simple. And again thanks for giving Lafayette Park another reason to live there

**LafayetteFoods** · June-04-11, 01:13 PM

Thank you all for your welcomes and good wishes. Please take a look at the ad on our website and pass the website on to all the people you know...

http://www.lafayettefoods.com/weeklyad.html

**LafayetteFoods** · June-04-11, 01:16 PM

Hello to all...

The Weekly Ad for the opening is now online.. Please click on the link below and pass this on to your friends and neighbors...

http://www.lafayettefoods.com/weeklyad.html

Looking forward to seeing all of the friends and neighbors around Lafayette Foods soon!

**Jason** · June-04-11, 01:46 PM

I think it would help your business a lot to get your website done professionally. Getting a proper website made can be expensive, but for all the money that's already been put into the store the website is a small part and it's really important. The website is a representation of your store, and the appearance of your website reflects on your business just like the appearance of the physical store does. I think it's even more important for the Lafayette Park/Downtown/Midtown crowd because their expectations are probably higher.

Getting a proper website would cost a few thousand dollars, but it would cost more if you wanted them to update it frequently.

Another option could be a blog, which can be free, and you could update it a lot with sales and coupons and new items and community news and that kind of stuff. You would still probably want to get a professional to make sure the blog looks nice and works with your branding and all of that kind of stuff, but that would be waaaay less expensive and maybe there's even a designer in Lafayette Park who would do it for free.

And congratulations on opening.