Florida Car Wash Chain Enters Local Market as Official Car Wash of Detroit Lions
El Car Wash, Florida’s largest express car wash company, and now the official car wash of the Detroit Lions, is expanding into Michigan with two new locations opening this fall in Brighton located (8680 W. Grand River Ave.) and Madison Heights (1275 14 Mile Road), with more planned across metro Detroit in 2025.
El Car Wash operates more than 50 locations and is a leader in customer service, convenience, sustainability, quality of wash, and for its customer-friendly unlimited wash club. All company locations are outfitted with amenities such as complimentary dash wipes, free glass cleaner, free towels, free compressed air, free interior cleaner, and more to enhance the overall experience.
“When we started planning our entrance into Detroit, we wanted to partner with the most iconic brands and there is nothing more iconic and representative of Michigan than the Detroit Lions,” say Justin Landau and Geoff Karas, the co-CEOs of El Car Wash.
To celebrate the partnership, El Car Wash is giving away free Lions tickets, a Jared Goff signed jersey, as well as one year of unlimited Graphene X + Ceramic Washes. To enter text “LOTTOMI1” to 22322 or visit https://elcarwash.com/mi/.
“With customers and employees typically living within three to five miles of our stores, we feel a deep responsibility to give back to our neighbors and as we think long term, we want to make a real impact across Michigan,” says Sandra Pascual, vice president of Marketing for El Car Wash. “We’re excited to become fully integrated into the neighborhoods we will serve, all while delivering a great product.”
Rocket Mortgage Teaming with Detroit Lions on Kick-off Week Events
As the anticipation for Sunday’s Detroit Lions regular season home opener grows, Rocket Mortgage has teamed up with the Lions to sponsor a series of kick-off week events.
Fans can enjoy a series of activities leading up to Sunday, including:
- Glow Yoga on Ford Field | Today from 4-6 p.m.: This event will feature a Lions Legend photo opportunity, a yoga session with City Glow Yoga instructors, and a special giveaway to beautify your game day.
- Connect 313 Community Day | Sept. 4 from 5-8 p.m.: This event is at the Stoudamire Wellness Hub at 4401 Conner St. in Detroit and will have lots of family-friendly activities, including player photo ops, face painters, balloon animal artists, swag giveaways, a DJ, food trucks and treats, and other fun activities. The Lions and Rocket Mortgage also are working with Connect 313, Eastside Community Network, and Black Tech Saturdays to give away 75 devices.
- Scavenger Hunt | Sept. 7 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.: Don’t miss your opportunity to score cool prizes, including player-autographed items, and pairs of tickets to the Lions home opener on Sept. 8, dinner with a player in the Lions locker room, and custom jerseys.
- Official Pregame Tailgate | Sept. 8 from 5 p.m.-8:20 p.m.: Join the official pregame tailgate at Ford Field for special photo opportunities courtesy of Rocket Mortgage within Pride Plaza. Admission to Pride Plaza presented by Bud Light is free and does not require a ticket to enter.
Màre Mediterranean Now Under New Ownership, Management
Now under new ownership and management, downtown Birmingham’s Màre Mediterranean is expanding its hours to offer daily dinner service beginning at 4 p.m., and will launch lunch service starting Sept. 9, with hours expanding to 11 a.m.-11 p.m. daily.
The Mediterranean-inspired restaurant and bar, located at 115 Willits St., is offering an updated menu, with many popular items remaining, including branzino, lobster, orate, and other fresh fish delivered daily, even on Sundays.
Màre Mediterranean’s seafood is sourced from Italy, Greece, Sicily, Portugal, and Spain, as well as the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, ensuring a fresh, never-frozen experience.
Cousins Paulina Faranso and Yousif “Joe” Kakos, the new owners of Màre Mediterranean, also have plans underway to revamp the 6,900-square-foot space with a fresh concept under a new name to be announced later this fall.
“For years, Joe and I have shared a common dream of opening and operating a restaurant in the vibrant city of Birmingham,” says Faranso. “We’re both passionate about creating a unique dining experience that reflects our love for diverse cuisine while bringing people from all walks of life together for a meal to remember.”
Until the new concept is unveiled, Màre Mediterranean remains open seven days a week with a renewed focus on fresh, high-quality ingredients and scratch-made dishes.
“This community has always been home,” Faranso added. “We look forward to enhancing Birmingham’s exceptional dining scene with a restaurant that embodies our commitment to making every guest feel valued while providing an unforgettable experience.”
For more information about Màre Mediterranean’s new hours, updated menu and future plans, visit maremediterranean.com.
Downtown Detroit Partnership Presents Fall Real Estate Update Sept. 17
The Downtown Detroit Partnership’s (DDP) annual Fall Forum: A Real Estate Update will take place from 3-5:30 p.m. Sept. 17 at the Cambria Hotel Detroit.
The Fall Forum brings together business, civic, and industry leaders to share real estate trends, updates, and insights about downtown Detroit’s evolving development landscape.
Attendees will receive an exclusive copy of the 2024 Downtown Detroit Community and Development Update, produced by the DDP and BIZ. The Update provides an in-depth breakdown of current, pending, and future developments as well as total investments in Downtown Detroit for the current year.
Click here to register.
Nine Nonprofits to share $1.3M in Kresge Funds for Neighborhood Projects
Nine Detroit-area nonprofits will share $1.3 million through the Kresge Innovative Projects: Detroit Plus (KIP:D+) grant program for implementation-ready projects that range from development of a world-class equestrian center for youth programs to engaging adjacent Hamtramck and eastside Detroit communities around environmental health concerns.
The organizations will spend the next two years implementing projects shaped by community engagement to improve quality of life in neighborhoods.
Funded by The Kresge Foundation, KIP:D+ is administered by Co.act Detroit in partnership with Michigan Community Resources and Kresge. It is a successor to the Kresge Innovative Projects: Detroit initiative which began in 2014. With the grants announced today, KIP:D and KIP:D+ have distributed $15 million.
The new cohort of grantees includes seasoned KIP:D+ grantees building on previous successes, like Freedom House Detroit, and new faces like A Girl Like Me Inc. and Black Bottom Archives.
The decision to focus Kresge’s 2024 grant dollars toward implementation-ready projects arose from a program review led by a new advisory group of residents from across Detroit, Hamtramck and Highland Park.
The process was informed by an analysis by sector partner Data Driven Detroit. As a result of advisory group recommendations, applicants seeking planning support alone were not considered in this round of grants. In addition to funding focused on project implementation, this round included an honorarium of $2,000 for the 13 finalists that did not receive grants, intended to help offset the operational costs of applying.
Maggie’s Wigs 4 Kids of Michigan to Stage Annual Gala Sept 10 in Sterling Heights
Maggie’s Wigs 4 Kids of Michigan, a local 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides wigs and support services to children ages 3 to 18 at no charge throughout the state of Michigan, is conducting its Lucky 21st Annual Gala starting at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 10 at Penna’s of Sterling (38400 Van Dyke Ave.) in Sterling Heights.
This is the organization’s signature event of the year, and the largest celebration of the kids and teens served. Guests enjoy dinner, dancing, entertainment, silent auction, raffle prizes, a sweet treat extravaganza, and more.
More information and tickets are available here or by calling 586-772-6656.
Pricing: $125 per adult, $40 per child (11 and younger). Seating of 10 guests per table. A pre-gala raffle also is being run where the public can help sponsor nine wigs for children in need. Tickets are available for a $10 donation and offer a chance to win a $1,000 cash prize. Drawing and winner announced at the gala; need not be present to win.
New Day Foundation for Families Hosting Celebrity Lip Sync Battle Sept, 12
New Day Foundation for Families in Rochester Hills, a cancer support organization that provides financial and emotional resources to improve quality of life and treatment outcomes, is hosting the Celebrity Lip Sync Battle on Sept. 12 at the Sound Board at MotorCity Casino in Detroit.
The fundraiser will feature local celebrities taking the stage and performing their best moves to battle it out for a family facing cancer. Celebrity judges will critique the performances, and the audience selects the winners. The show starts at 7 p.m., preceded by a VIP sponsor reception at 5 p.m. There will be afterglow following the show. For more information, visit here.
