Successful Detroit foodie biz: Randy's Granola

Detroit is a city with low barriers. It's a city where a girl can quit her job, make granola, make a business out of it, come to Detroit, and get noticed. You can get Randy's Granola in 20 stores, and that, of course, includes Eastern Market.

That's what makes Detroit a great place.

From Metromode:

Suzanne Vier and college buddy Randy TenBrink founded Randy's Granola barely a year ago, in May 2009. Visiting home from New York City, where she was then living, Vier tasted some of TenBrink's granola and had what she calls her "A-ha!" moment. Burned out on the corporate life, she saw starting a company as a reason to move back to Grand Rapids...and a way to fully delve into her love of food. This spring, Vier relocated her new company to Detroit after being around the town's food entrepreneurs and realizing "that there are a lot of dynamic and exciting things happening in Detroit."

Read the entire story here.


Also read about it in the Detroit News:

Q : Why did you choose to set up your fledgling business in Detroit?
A : I'm originally from Detroit and lived here until the age of 6. I grew up in Royal Oak, but my family has always had strong ties to the city. Detroit has a strong community of amazing food entrepreneurs, chefs, restaurateurs and other individuals who share a passion for food and business startup, and the level of collaboration and openness to new businesses is unlike anything I've seen anywhere else. I left a successful corporate career in NYC to start this business in Detroit because of the energy and work ethic that I found among my peers here.

Q : Do you feel that Detroit is a good place for other entrepreneurs to establish a business?
A: Yes, absolutely. Detroit offers entrepreneurs in any industry an opportunity to carve out a place for themselves amongst like-minded individuals and share ideas, collaborate, partner and grow. It's inspiring when I walk into a meeting like Open City or a local restaurant or bar and know that many of the individuals there have taken the same risks that I have and succeeded in their passion.

Read the entire article here.