Photo Caption: Lorraine’s Premium BBQ Sauce
The grand banquet hall named after Mama Imani Humprey on the 2nd floor of the Detroit People’s Food Co-op is full of preparations for the grand opening community celebration right around the corner. Chairs, table settings, and food station preparations are being set up for the occasion. On the other side of the room, a film crew is setting up and staging the first product commercial shoot for a locally owned small business, Lorraine’s Premium BBQ Sauce.
Larry Crockett, owner and CEO of Lorraine’s Premium BBQ Sauce, received the up to $25,000 services grant offered by Detroit Means Business. The grant includes professional commercial production with crew on-site, photography, product styling, and on-set coaching. Crockett attended this year’s annual Detroit Means Business Summit.
‘We hired Taste the Local Difference to do my commercial. I could have chosen any kitchen to film in, but near and dear to my heart is Detroit People’s Food Co-Op. Upstairs is a commercial kitchen run by Chef Gabriel Vincent. I wanted to bring attention to the co-op and commercial kitchen, so I’m utilizing the kitchen for my first professional shoot,” Crockett said.
Being Lorraine Premium BBQ Sauce’s first professional commercial shoot and production, Crockett wanted to share the milestone moment with his ecosystem of business owners to give them a moment to shine as well. Predithia Olden, the owner of Triple Level Seasonings, currently sold in 10 local Metro Detroit area grocers, including Rivertown Market, provided some of her seasonings and side dishes to be featured in the commercial. Katrina Anderson, owner of CommodiTeas, helped sustain and facilitate some of the shoot setups, including food prepping.
CommodiTeas is a locally owned beverage wholesaler founded by Anderson. The company specializes in offering high-quality tea products that are environmentally safe and free from microplastics. Its range of tea bags is carefully crafted to provide a sustainable and eco-friendly option for tea enthusiasts.
“Lorraine’s Barbecue is being featured today for their photoshoot and video shoot. I am always happy to help my fellow entrepreneurs get their shine on, so I came alongside to help with whatever Larry needed. I’m here for him, and he does the same for me. We all have a very tight-knit ecosystem in and outside of the city. We support each other; whatever we need, we show up for each other,” Anderson said.
Crockett says no one is successful alone and appreciates Drake Wilkins of Freda’s Soup Kitchen, who also helped set the shoot up and ensured things ran smoothly. Wilkins is also a Small Business Coach at ProsperUs.
“I always call on friends, we call on each other, and fellow business owners to stand on each other’s shoulders as we navigate this journey,” Crockett said.”Thanks to Detroit Means Business, Chef Gabriel, and Detroit People’s Food Co-Op for providing our businesses with this opportunity.”