Jerjuan Howard developed the Howard Family Bookstore from a commercial building on Detroit’s west side.
The property had sat vacant for about 25 years before reopening in April 2026, following its purchase in 2024. It now includes a bookstore, café, and space for programming tied to youth literacy and community use.
In New York, Rasheeda Purdie operates Ramen by Ra, a six-seat ramen shop where customers can book ahead for scheduled seating times. The concept began in 2021 and has since evolved into its current format.
Each business uses its space differently, with one built around open, daytime service and the other organized through reservations and fixed seating.
Reopening a Vacant Retail Asset in Detroit
The site on Puritan Avenue sits near several schools along a corridor where many storefronts have remained vacant. Its purchase in mid-2024 initiated the conversion into an active retail space.
Inside, the layout includes bookstore shelving, a café counter serving coffee and tea, and seating throughout. It also supports workshops, meetings, and youth-focused programming. Planned additions, including a 3D printer and VR station, expand how the location can be used.
The concept centers on youth literacy and community use, with programming, access to books, and shared space shaping daily activity.
Books are displayed throughout, while the café operates as a separate point of sale. Seating is available for customers who remain after making a purchase.
Customers enter without reservations or scheduled time slots. Activity includes retail, café service, and programming tied to nearby schools and local families.
Maintaining the location requires managing inventory, operating the café, and coordinating programming alongside daily retail activity.
A Fixed-Capacity Model in New York
Ramen by Ra operates out of a six-seat shop in the East Village.
The concept began during the pandemic through Ada Supper Club. It developed through pop-ups and a four-seat stall at Bowery Market before moving into its current East Village location.
Service is organized around reservations, with each seating lasting roughly 45 minutes. Customers book ahead through platforms like Resy and arrive at scheduled times. Each group is seated, served, and completed before the next seating begins.
The layout is designed for close interaction between the chef and each guest, with all seating positioned around the cooking area. The number of customers served each day is tied to the number of seats and seating cycles.
The menu is limited to a small number of bowls with occasional variations. A takeout window allows for additional orders outside of the dining room.
Operations rely on systems that manage reservations, payments, and order timing before service begins.
Two Ways Space Is Used
Each business organizes its environment differently.
In Detroit, activity unfolds throughout the day, with retail, café service, and programming taking place in the same setting.
In New York, service is structured in defined intervals, with reservations determining when customers arrive and how long each seating lasts.
These approaches shape how activity takes place over the course of a day.
From Opening to Ongoing Operation
Reopening a long-vacant property establishes a working space. Sustaining activity depends on how that space is used over time.
For the bookstore and café, this includes retail, café service, and scheduled programming tied to youth literacy and community use. For the ramen shop, it includes maintaining reservation demand and running each seating on schedule.
In both cases, how time and access are structured determines how activity continues over time.
