African-American owned bar tour of Detroit held for Black History Month

Image 1 of 6

Smack dab in the heart of Detroit - Queen's bar on east Grand River is a contemporary laid back bar and grill with a neighborhood vibe.

Sam Spruill turned his dream into a reality when they opened back in 2016.

"We have been busy since day one," quipped Spruill. "No, it has been good. We are very thankful and humble too. There are no TVs here, so this is a conversation room. I feel conversation is a lost art so it is cool."

Spruill is enjoying the success of Queens and will soon get to share it with even more people. in honor of Black History Month, The Detroit Experience Factory is highlighting black-owned businesses in Detroit. 

"They go around to black-owned bars and they let everybody know there are still black businesses in downtown Detroit - and that is very important," Spruill said. "I am very proud because it does represent the melting pot which is the city of Detroit which is really cool."

Paul Mack helped organize the event set for Thursday February 7th. 

"For us it is important to celebrate a lot of our local heritage with being one of the historic majority black cities in the US," said Mack. "It is important for us to celebrate that aspect of our culture and heritage."

A tour guide will help you experience the bar scene in a whole new way, visiting Queens, Floods on St. Antoine and Mix.  You enjoy some special cocktails and learn about the background of the businesses and their owners.

"The story is really what you want to hear," Mack said. "Why did this person open this bar, what is the story here, what is the story with the city of Detroit and why do they care about Detroit. What real people are doing in Detroit." 

For Sam, he looks forward to meeting other Detroit lovers who want to celebrate the black history and the present.

"We wanted to be a part of something positive," he said. "It really it is cool that there is actually a tour that people can see there is actually a black renaissance and we want to be a part of it."

FOR MORE INFO: detroitexperiencefactory.org/public-tours