DETROIT – A Detroit business owner is celebrating the grand opening of his new event center, bar, and grill on Woodward Avenue, but it’s his staff’s behind-the-scenes work that’s drawing attention as well.
Entrepreneur Tony “Massive” Little has opened The Massidore Detroit, a venue he describes as a place “where elegance meets class,” featuring a menu that includes lamb chops, steak bites, turkey chops, chicken, burgers, and fish.
“We’ve completely done the floors, the remodeling, and everything. The LED screens,” said Little as he showed off updates inside the new space.
For Little, the business is about more than food and entertainment; it’s also about community service.
“My whole motive is to give back,” Little said. “That’s where I get my most pleasure from.”
Little says his passion is focused on people in the immediate community, including neighbors who may be dealing with difficult circumstances.
A nursing home sits across the street, and he says the area is home to people who could use extra support.
“One of the reasons we always give back is because I know where I came from,” Little said. “It’s from the east side of Detroit.”
Little also shared that opening the business is personal, after overcoming challenges and discouragement as a child, when people close to him said he would never amount to anything.
“Coming up, I believed that. So, I began to just live my life recklessly,” Little said. “And one day, I woke up and said I’m not going to be the way they want me to be. I’m going to do something different.”
That “something different,” he says, is building a business model rooted in community service.
Little and his team spend time each month conducting outreach, including delivering hot meals to people in need and ensuring they feel seen and appreciated.
As The Massidore Detroit celebrates its grand opening, the team hopes that regular acts of service and the relationships built along the way will make a lasting impact.
“If I can keep them from going down the road that I went down, then that’s how it’s going to be,” Little said. “And that’s why we are always giving back.”
The Massidore Detroit is located at 9350 Woodward Avenue.
It’s open Noon to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Staff members have been touting the restaurant’s mac and cheese, and Little says the event center plans to host a major entertainer each month.
For more information, visit www.themassidoredetroit.com