For the last 42 years, Mini Mart Specialty Meats has been one of the freshest businesses in Detroit.
The second-generation specialty market is run by the sons of the founder of Mini Mart, known to have been cutting meat for more than 50 years. One of the founder’s three sons is John Sorisho, co-owner of Mini Mart.
“Everything is a big item here,” Sorisho says. “At Mini Mart, we’re one of the largest, independent Amish retailers in Michigan. We do approximately 20,000 pounds of chicken a week here.”
Beginning with its opening in 1975, the market has also carried fruits, veggies and hundreds of different spices, sauces and marinades customers can use to season their meals.
Since jumping into the business, Sorisho says he understood the business’ principles revolve around quality and service.
“That’s how we started from day one,” he says. “The reason we’ve been in the community for over 40 years, and the reason for our success are no secret. What we do is give high-quality meats and the best service possible.”
“Bring your dollar to work right here versus going to the suburbs.” -Joyce Phelps, a loyal patron who has shopped at Mini Mart since the market opened
Located at 16435 West McNichols, Mini Mart employs 21 to 25 people. When it’s really busy, there can be eight to 10 staff working behind the meat counter alone. With customers traveling from cities as far as Belleville, Ypsilanti and from throughout Detroit, the team has to work at a steady pace as customers wait to place their orders.
Roger Palmer of Madison Heights has been coming to Mini Mart the past 10 years and often jokes around with one of the crew members.
“Me and one of the guys tell jokes all the time,” Palmer says. “Every time he sees me, he just starts laughing. That’s a good thing, because he brightens up my day and I brighten up his day.
“They’re fast, too. You grab a number and you could see that they’ve got a lot of people servicing. It’s special.”
With a vast array of mouthwatering meats, from Amish chicken wings and cube steaks to catfish filets and pork chops, Mini Mart has something for everyone.
Palmer is a big fan of their Amish wings and calls them “to die for.” He enjoys baking barbecue wings at home for his family and teaching his daughters the importance of packing your freezer to have food readily available.
Mini Mart is “Home to the Original Turkey Chop.”
“I created the turkey chop 15 years ago and wherever (else) you see turkey chops, their knock-offs,” Sorisho says. “We are the original turkey chop people. It’s an Amish, all-natural turkey breast that we cut. We have a signature cut on it and people love it. You fry them, broil them, smother them, sauté them, shake them, bake them like mama used to make them. It doesn’t matter. It’s a hit.”
Native Detroiter Joyce Phelps has shopped at Mini Mart since the market opened. When she comes to shop, something she must get is the Black Forest Ham for her little boy. Phelps says she believes in supporting her community’s businesses.
“It’s very important because you are letting the dollar turn over in your own neighborhood over and over, and that’s what brings the economy right in your neighborhood,” she says. “Bring your dollar to work right here versus going to the suburbs.”
Support and loyalty continue to be important to the Mini Mart team, which sees its customer base grow daily.
Sorisho enjoys having both new and long-time customers come in to see how Mini Mart operates and how much the staff loves what they do.
“It’s always good that people come back to their roots,” he says. “Whether they moved out of the city, moved 25, 30 miles away, they always come back and brag how many years they’ve been coming here. It just makes you really hold your head up really high. It’s priceless. You can’t buy that.”
Sorisho’s father still visits the shop once in a while to see the staff and make sure the team is doing well. When the market went through a major renovation about two years ago, Sorisho’s father told him, “Do whatever you want, make it look as pretty as possible. Go all out, but don’t make the store any bigger.”
His father wasn’t the only one that wanted to keep the store small.
“The customers want it to be the same size,” Sorisho says. “They like that atmosphere.”
Editor’s note: Mini Mart Specialty Meats is located at 16435 W. McNichols Road in Detroit (48235). For more information call 313-272-2250 or visit: minimartmeat.com
To learn more about Bank of America’s small business programs and support visit: https://www.bankofamerica.com/smallbusiness/business-financing.go
Photos by Paul Engstrom
A Cut Above: Quality combines with customer service at West side meat market added by Charnae Sanders on
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