Faith, family and flavor: Motor City Match awardee Toss and Sauce brings build-your-own organic pizza to Detroit’s Avenue of Fashion

• Founded by Detroiters Ashley Patton and Cher Slater, the pizzeria allows you to “build-your-own,” with organic, non-GMO ingredients, along with signature dishes

• Toss and Sauce is the 196th Motor City Match business to open

• The business was supported by a $60,000 Motor City Match grant in Round 17

• Motor City Match has awarded $21 million in cash grants; 85% of overall winners are minority-owned, 73% are women-owned, and 69% are operated by Detroit residents

OCTOBER 15, 2025 (DETROIT) – The Detroit Economic Growth Corporation (DEGC) and City of Detroit today celebrated the grand opening of Toss and Sauce, a new pizzeria on the Avenue of Fashion, marking the 196th Motor City Match-supported business to open.

Owner Ashley Patton’s path to entrepreneurship has been years in the making. After moving away for college and building a life outside the state, she made a personal deal with herself: if anyone ever bought and restored Michigan Central Station, she’d move back to Detroit. When Ford announced its plans to redevelop the iconic landmark, she knew the deal was sealed.

“I never wanted to come back home when I moved away for college,” Patton said. “But the Lord had other ideas. I told myself if anyone ever bought and re-did Michigan Central Station, I’d move back. When Ford did, I knew it was time.”

That decision led Patton and her aunt, Cher Slater, a veteran entrepreneur, to open Toss and Sauce. Patton got the idea after spotting similar restaurants out of state and thought Detroit needed one. Entrepreneurship runs deep in Patton’s blood. She studied business in college and watched Slater build a portfolio that included multiple hair salons and a restaurant.

Located at 18673 Livernois, Toss and Sauce serves custom and Detroit-inspired pizzas with organic, non-GMO ingredients, including smoked salmon, shrimp, and classic toppings like bacon and pepperoni. But the journey to opening day was anything but smooth.

After returning home, Patton learned about Motor City Match and decided to apply. After her first unsuccessful attempt at opening a brick-and-mortar with the program’s support, she applied again and was awarded $60,000 grant in Round 17, which helped purchase key equipment for the restaurant.

Despite facing multiple setbacks such as leasing issues, navigating construction delays and struggling to find consistent contractors, Patton’s faith along with additional support from Invest Detroit helped her and Slater invest more than $300,000 to bring their dream to life.

“My faith kept me going,” Patton said. “It’s hard to find good contractors and stay consistent, but I believed God gave me a vision. I just had to keep walking through it.”

Each pizza on Toss and Sauce’s menu tells a story. The “Mel Street,” named in honor of Patton’s late cousin, is a vegetarian pizza topped with cherry tomatoes, red onion, bell peppers and spicy chickpeas. The “Yo Peezy” topped with smoked salmon, capers and white sauce, and “What Up Dough” layered with barbecue sauce, chicken, bacon and jalapenos celebrate Detroit culture and family traditions. Everything at Toss and Sauce is made in-house, from the sauces to the dough.

Perfecting the dough was its own journey. It took five years and more than 50 test recipes for Patton to land on the ideal combination of chew and crunch that defines Toss and Sauce’s signature crust.

“Ashley and Cher created a space that adds to the character of the Avenue of Fashion. They have a unique offering that will add to the diversity of businesses in the area,” said Deputy Mayor Melia Howard. “Aside from excellent food, they have a story that others can learn from – one that demonstrates resilience and faith in action.”

Beyond the kitchen, Patton and Slater plan to launch a youth entrepreneurship program and scholarship fund, partnering with neighboring Avenue of Fashion businesses to mentor high school students, help them develop business plans, and pitch their ideas for the chance to win a scholarship.

“Ashley and Cher believed in their vision, pushed through every obstacle and built a special concept,” said Sean Gray, vice president of Small Business Services at DEGC, responsible for managing the Motor City Match program. “And now, they’re already thinking about how to give back and lift up the next generation. It’s amazing to see.”

Toss and Sauce is open Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday, and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday. The restaurant is celebrating its grand opening with limited-time specials, including Lobster Claw, Buffalo Chicken and Mississippi Pot Roast pizzas. The shop plans to expand its staffing by early 2026 as business continues to grow.

Through 29 rounds of Motor City Match:

• Total cash grants: $21 million (Total leveraged investment: $110 million)

• 85% of awardees are minority-owned

• 73% are women-owned

• 69% are owned by Detroit residents

About Motor City Match

Motor City Match is a unique partnership between the City of Detroit, the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation (DEGC), the Economic Development Corporation of the City of Detroit (EDC) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Competitive financial assistance is supported by a broad partnership of Southeast Michigan community development financial institutions and corporations including, Bank of America, Fifth Third Bank, Ford Foundation, Hudson Webber Foundation, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Knight Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, New Economy Initiative and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Motor City Match applications are available quarterly. More information is available at www.MotorCityMatch.com