Motor City Match helps Detroit educator bring family baking legacy to Midtown

• Retired educator Erin Apacanis opens Simply Roasted, a cozy café inspired by her late mother’s passion for baking and family traditions

• Simply Roasted is already becoming a community favorite among local college students and Midtown residents

• The business received a $50,000 grant in Round 26 of Motor City Match

• Motor City Match has awarded $19.5M in cash grants; 85% of overall winners are minority-owned businesses, 70% are women-owned, and 68% are owned by Detroit residents

JULY 24, 2025 (DETROIT) — Today, the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation (DEGC) and City of Detroit held a grand opening for Simply Roasted, a new neighborhood café in Midtown that received a $50,000 grant through Motor City Match, becoming the program’s 191st business to open.

The creation of Erin Apacanis, a retired educator and longtime Detroit resident, Simply Roasted offers thoughtfully crafted coffee, breakfast and lunch sandwiches, and locally sourced baked goods, all in a space designed for comfort, community and connection. Apacanis’ mother taught the family to bake from scratch but never got the chance to start her own business. Now she is building that legacy forward, running the café with her son on weekdays and daughter on weekends.

“This all revolved around my mom,” said Apacanis. “She was the baker in the family and the one who taught us how to make everything from scratch. We always hoped she would open a place of her own, but she never got the chance. This is about family legacy, I wanted to build something in her honor and for my kids.”

Apacanis, who has lived in the University District for more than 40 years, said she’s encouraged by how the City and programs like Motor City Match make it easier for entrepreneurs to start small businesses.

Simply Roasted is already carving out its niche in Midtown. The café has become a gathering place for nearby Wayne State medical students, local professionals and neighborhood residents. Menu favorites include Spanish lattes and croissant breakfast sandwiches, along with blooming teas, cold brew and gluten-free options. Sandwiches are made in-house, while baked goods are currently sourced from various local vendors.

“You can already see how this place is bringing people together – students studying over Spanish lattes, neighbors catching up over breakfast sandwiches,” said Deputy Mayor Melia Howard. “That’s what we want to see. Simply Roasted is serving coffee and community all at once.”

Located at 4240 Cass Ave, Suite 107, Simply Roasted is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Apacanis runs the shop with her son during the week and her daughter on weekends, with a small team of four to six people.

Simply Roasted received its $50,000 Motor City Match grant in Round 26, which helped fund essential items like refrigerators, dishwashers, outdoor seating, and menu displays. The funding came after nearly two years of working toward opening Apacanis’s dream café and helped her reach the finish line.

“Erin put in two years of hard work to get here, and we’re proud Motor City Match could help her cross the finish line,” said Sean Gray, vice president of Small Business Services at DEGC, which manages the Motor City Match program. “Now she’s building a beautiful legacy with her kids.”

Through 28 rounds of Motor City Match: 

• Total cash grants: $19.5 million (Total leveraged investment: $104.5 million)

• 85 percent are minority-owned businesses

• 70 percent are women-owned businesses

• 68 percent are businesses 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 the Treasury through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). 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.