New Fusion Flare restaurant debuts on Detroit's west side

DETROIT (FOX 2) - Back in 2005 Marshelle Sykes and her husband were owners of a neighborhood bar - but she was dreaming of something more.

"I decided to go to culinary school and I also wanted a restaurant," she said. "What better place than to bring it into the hearts of the neighborhood."

Sykes and her husband transformed their bar into Fusion Flare Kitchen & Cocktails - and celebrated their official opening on Tuesday.

"We have handcrafted cocktails our food is all made from scratch, locally grown fresh," she said.

Fusion Flare is located on Detroit's west side in a neighborhood that's home to blight and boarded up buildings - and this neighborhood has not seen a sit-down restaurant in over two decades. 

"It's a little scary but it's been awesome. The neighborhood has welcomed us," she said.

Patrons like Rodney McCall of Southfield say the neighborhood spot has a lot to offer.

As Sykes turns her dream into reality she turned to a nonprofit called Tech Town for support.

"We work one-on-one with businesses for 6 to 12 months to really help them start, grow and scale their business," said Micah Loucks of Tech Town Detroit.

And as these neighborhood businesses grow, many say it helps the city of Detroit grow also. 

"Neighborhood businesses define the community and someone like Marshelle taking a chance on this neighborhood speaks to a sense of hope," said Brianna Walker of the Detroit Economic Growth Corp. 

"We want more businesses over here we want hair salons pop-up shops here," Sykes said. "It brings back Detroit."