One-pound corned beef sandwiches are not for the faint of heart. Literally.
But that is what Mr. Fo Fo's does best, and has been doing for 30 years. The legendary restaurant is now managed by Central Detroit Christian Community Development Corp. who bought and renovated the building in 2006.
Director Lisa Johanon grew up just down the street from Mr. Fo Fo's and admits to being awed at the prospect of running such a neighborhood institution."I remember a line out the door, it was just a jammin' place all the time," she says. "We're really hoping to bring it back to the glory days that Mr. Fo Fo's once knew."
CDC trains young people between the ages of 16 and 21 at Mr. Fo Fo's and the adjacent ice cream shop, The Freeze. After five months of employment, the organization helps them find a permanent job. 300 youth have passed through the workforce training program in the past seven years.
The restaurant and its staff inspire devotion from its patrons. "To see how many people are so loyal to the restaurant, that's been unique to see," says Johanon.
Mr. Fo Fo's is located at 8902 Second Ave. at Hazelwood.
Source: Lisa Johanon, CDC
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh