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When Randy Bahoora opened his Fuddruckers restaurant on Evergreen Road in Southfield in 2015, he —like most other business owners — never dreamed things would come to a virtual standstill because of the pandemic. But Bahoora and his business partner, Saad Habba, somehow made ends meet.

Fast forward to 2024 and the future is looking much brighter for the franchise owners.

ALL ABOUT TIMING

When Bahoora learned of an available liquor license in the city of Southfield, he knew the time was right to take his restaurant to the next level. Now called Fuddruckers Evergreen Bar & Grill, he’s still serving up the same great burgers and strawberry milkshakes Fuddruckers has become known for — and more.

“If it wasn’t for the liquor license, I don’t think we would have survived another year,” Bahoora says. “We were awarded the license and began remodeling the restaurant in time for our grand reopening on October 8th.”

The grand opening event was attended by City of Southfield officials, including Mayor Kenson Siver, Council President Ari Mandelbaum, Council President Pro Tem Nancy Banks and councilpersons Yolanda Haynes and Charles Hicks as well as Police Chief Elvin Barren and area businesses owners, among others.

GROWING THE BUSINESS

While employees of nearby businesses are still working from home for a portion of the work week, Bahoora says his lunch crowd is growing, and his happy hour and dinner business has taken off.

“We have two happy hours a day where we discount food and liquor,” he says. The first happy hour is from 3 to 6p.m. and 9 to 11p.m. The restaurant also features happy hours for both college and NFL football games, along with Karaoke nights and Family Fun nights, Bahoora says.

“We’ve added snacks and appetizers, like breaded mushrooms, potato skins, quesadillas and sliders and we also have a choice of entrees with two sides.”

The restaurant features 12 large screen TVs, a new bar and comfortable seating for families and friends to gather.

SOUTHFIELD TIES

Bahoora has strong ties to Southfield, growing up in the city and graduating from Southfield Lathrup High School. “Southfield has been good to us. It’s a great city to do business in. We’re right in the middle of the City Center, the heart of all of it all,” he says.

Bahoora and his staff are looking forward to even more business as the word about

Fuddruckers Evergreen Bar & Grill spreads. He says he’s grateful for his restaurant’s resurrection. “Every day is better than the day before.”

Southfield-based Collins Einhorn is one of the Michigan’s most prestigious law firms specializing in defense of large insurance companies and their clients as well as corporate entities.

According to the firm’s CEO, Kellie Howard, Collins Einhorn’s boutique practice groups have set the firm apart since its founding in 1971. She points to professional liability, insurance coverage, appellate and toxic tort practice groups as prime examples.

AN IDEAL LOCATION

For the last 40 years, the firm has operated from its location in the 4000 tower of the Southfield Town Center — an ideal location, according to Howard.

“A lot of our client base is in the metro Detroit area, and we’re sitting right in the center of it for our clients and employees. Geographically, it’s a very desirable location for us.”

The Town Center’s connection to a major hotel is an added amenity, making it convenient for the firm’s visiting business partners and clients.

“The physical image of our business is important,” says Howard. “Clients want to feel like we’re successful as a law firm. The Southfield Town Center and all its amenities allow us to present an image that reflects our level of practice.”

ADDRESSING A NEW CULTURE

While the firm’s location has remained unchanged for some four decades, Howard says its culture is transitioning to address today’s younger workforce.

In fact, the change began to take shape with Howard’s appointment as chief executive officer in January 2024, making her the firm’s youngest and first minority CEO.

“I was slowly integrated into the position by the then CEO. So it was a year of shadowing and understanding all the processes of business and things of that nature,” she says.

Howard attributes her impressive climb to CEO status to hard work, commitment to clients and her ability to connect with younger employees searching for a stronger work/life balance.

“To run a business today, you need to have an appreciation and an affection for people because these are very challenging hiring markets. What does everybody need? Is everyone healthy? Is everyone whole? Is everyone thriving? And that’s always something that I’ve cared about,” Howard says.

“You can’t run this business without the people who are here — from the clerks to my fellow shareholders. They all matter. You have to figure out a way to develop a culture where employees feel like they belong as people and as employees.”

The 2024 “Placemaking Through Landscape Design” summer camp recently received the President’s Honor Award for Significant Support of Landscape Architecture. The award was presented at the Michigan American Society of Landscape Architects (MI ASLA) Conference held in Detroit on September 12.

The mid-July annual camp, held at Lawrence Technological University’s Southfield campus, marked its third year. The camp was hosted by Lawrence Technological University and organized by the Michigan Chapter of American Society of Landscape Architects’ Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, the City of Southfield Planning Department and Southfield City Centre.

“The success of this program is because of the many volunteers who shared their time, experience and talent leading up to and during the week-long program, “said Terry Croad, AICP, ASLA, Director of Planning for the City of Southfield and organizer of the camp.

Croad also acknowledged the eight participating students from Michigan and Chicago who were “extremely focused and excited to learn about landscape architecture as a possible career.”

For more about the Placemaking Through Landscape Design” summer camp, visit  https://southfieldcitycentre.com/landscape-design-camp-inspires-students/

L to R: Southfield Mayor Kenson Siver; Michigan American Society of Landscape Architects (MI ASLA) Awards Chair Stacey Tobar; Southfield Director of Planning Terry Croad; and Southfield Sustainability Planner Souzan Yousif display the President’s Honor Award for Significant Support of Landscape Architecture. The ASLA award recognizes of the 2024 “Placemaking Through Landscape Design” summer camp (see related article). Terry Croad, organizer of the summer camp, also recently received the MI ASLA Distinguished Member Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Profession.

Summer is here, and that means Southfield is bustling with things to do. Whether you’re a resident, employee, student or visitor, “Southfield offers a wide array of activities and events all summer long,” says Southfield Mayor Kenson J. Siver.

Here’s just a sampling:

Eat to the Beat is a lunchtime favorite featuring live music and food trucks on the front lawn of the Southfield Municipal Campus from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• Jun. 13: Circle of Sound Band
• Jul. 11: Detroit Social Club Band
• Aug. 8: Denise Davis & The Motor City Sensations
• Sep. 12: Kathleen Murray Band

The 17th Annual Southfield Garden Walk (June 23), hosted by the Southfield Parks & Garden Club, will feature eight yards in the Tamarack/Hiawatha Neighborhood, located between Evergreen and Lahser roads, south of Ten Mile. Participants can enter the neighborhood on Tamarack Trail between 2:00 and 5:00 p.m. Tickets for the walk are $10 and may be purchased on the day of the event or from the Southfield Mayor’s Office.

A Jewish Artists Exhibition (through July 31, 2024) features 15 Michigan-based Jewish American artists on display in the Southfield City Hall atrium/main lobby.

The 8th Annual Kimmie Horne Jazz Festival (August 9 and 10) takes place on the front lawn of the Southfield Municipal Campus. Enjoy great jazz Friday from 6 to 10:30 p.m. and Saturday from 3 to 10:30 p.m. In addition to live music, the free event features food trucks, boutique vendors and more.

The Chutney Festival (August 24) is a vibrant and delicious celebration of South Asian and West Indian street food. The event will be held at the Southfield Municipal Campus.

Things to do all summer long:

Get moving on the Southfield City Centre Trail with a walk, jog or bike ride during lunchtime or after work. The trail features nearly 9 miles of non-motorized pathways, including a 3.5-mile “Inner Loop” where you’ll find several outdoor art installations. The Monarch Butterfly Pollinator Garden, Tapestry of a Community and Red Pole Park are just a few.

A Bike Share program (with 9 convenient locations]) makes it easy to ride the trail. For a 3.5 guided tour of 26 public works of art and cultural sites along the trail, download the PocketSights app to your mobile device and search “Southfield, Michigan.”

Get out on the green. If you’re a golfer, don’t miss your chance to tee off at the Evergreen Hills Golf Course, located at the Southfield Municipal Campus, 26000 Evergreen Road, this 9-hole, par 34, 2,954-yard public course features beautifully landscaped grounds and manicured fairways.

Grab lunch at one of your favorite Southfield restaurants, find an open bench along Evergreen or Civic Center Drive and enjoy the great outdoors.

For the athlete in you, the Southfield Municipal Campus is home to baseball diamonds, soccer fields and every type of court imaginable, including volleyball, tennis, pickleball, basketball and racquetball.

A brilliant Monarch butterfly sculpture has been added to Southfield City Centre Trail, made possible by Eaton, the international power management company located in Southfield. “Eaton encourages all of its employees to be active stewards for our environment,” says Laurie Conn, facility manager for the Vehicle Group. “We support the Butterfly Sculpture and Garden because we support our community. We live here. We work here. We’re glad to be part of the community.”

Eaton first contributed easement so the Trail could extend past its building. Then it contributed additional easement for the butterfly sculpture, which was installed this spring, and the creation of an adjoining pollinator garden, home to butterflies, bees and other pollinators. The City will add an educational panel and amenities such as benches and wayfinding signs. “The Monarch butterfly is in decline,” says Terry Croad, director of planning for the City of Southfield. “It is on the international endangered-species list.” A sculpture of the Monarch was chosen to make a bold statement and complement the vivid color at Red Pole Park. “We want to bring awareness to the plight of pollinators and bring a smile to visitors,” he says.

Conn says the extension of the Trail and the new sculpture increases wellness opportunities for Eaton employees. “We have a lot of walkers. This is a great space for our employees to be physically active and reduce stress, which contributes to both physical and mental well-being. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, so this is a great time to take advantage of this new space,” she adds. The sculpture and garden, which is now being designed by a landscape architect, complements efforts of  the “Green Guardians,” an employee group supported by Eaton that promotes environmental sustainability.

For the second year in a row, Southfield City Centre Trail was the location of the Anti-Defamation League’s annual “Walk Against Hate” and fundraiser and the results were inspiring: More than 200 people participated and more than $26,000 dollars were raised in support of the organization. “Antisemitism and all forms of hatred have been on the rise for the last several years,” Carolyn Normandin, regional director of ADL Michigan, said after the September 18 event. “On the day of the walk, we saw the combining of communities, from different walks of life, different religions, different races and ethnicities all saying, ‘Michigan is no place for hate.’ We are standing in solidarity and as long as we do that, we can stand up to hatred and bigotry.”

Arthur Horwitz, long-time area resident, civil rights champion and journalist, was chosen as the inaugural Path to Truth honoree and leader of the walk. He was joined by Southfield Police Chief Elvin Barren, representatives from City of Southfield and Lawrence Technological University and student leaders from several area high schools, along with participants from Oakland, Wayne and Macomb counties.

In addition to the annual walk, ADL works year-round to train teachers and students in ways to disrupt and redirect any kind of hateful dialogue. “Between January 1 and September 1, we trained more than 1,000 teachers,” Normandin said. “More than 30 schools – elementary, middle and high schools – are participating in ADL’s No Place for Hate, a curriculum that is student-led with guidance from a faculty advisor.” For more information, visit adl.org.