Black Owned Businesses At Detroit's Eastern Market: Freda's Soup Kitchen

Smell that fresh garlic, those boiled potatoes seated in a savory oxtail stew? Makes my mouth water. Let me introduce you to Freda's Soup Kitchen, another family owned kitchen owned Cathy "Freda" Wilkins and son, Drake Wilkins, Jr.

Especially known for her famous chili, oxtail stew and seafood gumbo, Freda's soup are still handmade in Freda's kitchen love and dedication. Great for warming a hungry belly on a cold Detroit weekend, her soups have filled stomach since the pandemic. One of the first vendors you see when walking in Shed #5 on most Saturday mornings, the smell of the soups are pleasurably overwhelming. You must stop to see what's the stir.

It's Freda's Soup of the day started back during the pandemic when Drake decided to open an eatery. "We sold sandwiches and salads and some produce, acting as a micro grocery store really," says Drake. "We also sold hot food. Customers started specifically asking about the oxtail stew which set us off. We started making different soups...and we launched my moms own brand so that it could sustain itself. This is our 2nd year proof of concept here at the market in Shed 5 and she'd done more than 400,000 orders since 2022."

Freda's Soups are now sold in Rivertown Meijers and of course inside Detroit's Eastern Market. Learn more about Freda's on their instagram. https://www.instagram.com/fredassoupkitchen/