Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan has announced an effort to reduce the regulatory process for opening small businesses in the city. 

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During a late morning news conference on Wednesday, Duggan said new restaurants have to meet building codes, fire codes and health codes. On top of that, there’s a separate city license that Duggan says is redundant.

He recalled a conversation he had with the city’s chief operating officer:

“’Do you know that to open a restaurant, you have to pass the building code, you gotta pass the fire code and you gotta pass the health department code?’ I said ‘Yes. I knew all that.’ He says, ‘On top of that, you need a city of Detroit license.’ The city of Detroit license doesn’t really add anything once you’re up to code on the building, the fire and the health department.  And we have a whole separate set of inspections at a whole different time of year, with a whole different set of fees. He says, ‘Would you be willing to consider forgetting the city of Detroit business license for a restaurant? It’s a duplicate system.’”

The proposed ordinance would eliminate that additional license for restaurants. It also would extend the licensing process from one year to two years. 

The city would also set up a new group of staffers to help walk entrepreneurs through the licensing process. City Council must still approve the process changes, but officials say those changes should be in place by the end of this year. 

Other headlines for Wednesday, May 21, 2025:

• Organizations supporting underrepresented small businesses and entrepreneurs in Michigan have received nearly $9 million in grants from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. The agency’s “Trusted Connector” grant provides money to groups that work on technical assistance, mentoring and outreach.
• The Michigan Chronicle holds its Pancakes and Politics Breakfast at 7:50 a.m. on Thursday, May 22, at Elevate in downtown Detroit. The topic of discussion is “Cities of Tomorrow – A Blueprint for Progress.” Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell will be among the featured speakers.
• Detroit ranks No. 58 out of 100 when it comes to its parks, according to the ParkScore Index. The rankings, compiled by the nonprofit Trust for Public Land, compares park systems in the country’s largest cities.  The city ranked 65th last year.
• The NFL released the Detroit Lions’ pre-season schedule on Tuesday. The team will start the pre-season with a nationally televised game against the Los Angeles Chargers in the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio, at 8 p.m. on July 31. Other pre-season games for the Lions include the Atlanta Falcons, Miami Dolphins and Houston Texans. The Lions first regular-season game takes place in Green Bay on Sept. 7 against the Packers. 

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