Congrats to 'Little Liberia', The Ribbon's First Restaurant Tenant

Michigan’s first restaurant serving traditional Liberian food is preparing for its soft launch in the East English Village neighborhood on Detroit’s eastside, marking a powerful cultural milestone for the city’s growing food and beverage scene. Little Liberia is more than a new restaurant; it’s a celebration of Liberian culture in the Motor City and part of the broader revitalization of the East Warren Corridor.  

Located in ‘The Ribbon’, an impactful mixed-use development led by Flux City, this project reflects the continued investment and growth happening along East Warren. Owner Ameneh Marhaba benefited from some of Detroit’s most successful small business development programs including Hatch Detroit and the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation’s (DEGC) Motor City Match. These initiatives support brick-and-mortar entrepreneurs through funding, technical assistance, and design. Highlighting this connection strengthens not only the project’s story but its ties to Detroit’s broader economic development movement.

Owner Ameneh Marhaba’s vision brings authentic Liberian cuisine and hospitality to Detroiters eager for new culinary experiences. Her commitment to honoring Liberian heritage is reflected not only in the menu but in the restaurant’s full design concept. From early programming and spatial planning to materiality and furniture selection, the design process centered on storytelling through environment.

As a food and beverage design project rooted in cultural authenticity, the restaurant’s interior architecture balances warmth, texture, and community-centered seating. Natural materials, layered finishes, and carefully curated furnishings were selected to echo Liberian craftsmanship and tradition while meeting the functional demands of a contemporary restaurant build-out. The result is a thoughtfully designed dining space that supports both intimate meals and vibrant community gatherings.

From concept to completion, this restaurant design project exemplifies how culturally driven food spaces can catalyze neighborhood growth. It stands at the intersection of community development, hospitality design, and small business entrepreneurship… a model for how thoughtful restaurant design can support economic revitalization.

With the support of many neighborhood stakeholders and the Detroit community, Little Liberia has evolved from vision to built reality. As doors prepare to open, the restaurant represents more than a meal... it signals continued investment in eastside Detroit, the strengthening of the East Warren Corridor, and the arrival of Michigan’s first Liberian restaurant in a building and space designed with purpose.