Small community events frequently pop up from Bunts to Birdtown, proving popular among Lakewood residents who enjoy supporting small businesses and trying new things. On Friday, Oct. 10, Roasted and its neighbors teamed up to host an event in their shared parking lot to bring the community together at the start of fall.
Oktober’s held the event with several small businesses, including Roasted and Thai Thai. The event featured a witches’ market, and other businesses from Bunts to Birdtown joined in. Such Lakewood fall events are becoming a fun tradition and a good way to promote local businesses. They help bring the community together, support local businesses, and adapt to the new weather and fun activities of the season.
Residents begin the fall season differently — whether by carving pumpkins, setting up decorations, or going to pumpkin patches. For cafes and coffee shops, fall signals the start of fall-flavored menus.
Roasted and Its Owner
Roasted stands out among Lakewood’s many locally owned coffee shops, thanks to owner Sofia Syed, whose passion for coffee and people shines through.
The first Roasted location opened in Tremont, where it quickly built a loyal following before expanding into Lakewood, bringing its signature mix of cozy ambiance and community spirit. Syed stated she chose Lakewood because it supports small businesses. Lakewood is also a small-business-oriented area, especially on Detroit and Madison.
“I picked Lakewood because I really like the community and how much it supports small businesses,” said Syed. She also stated, “I love all the surrounding small businesses, and I love Madison Avenue, so it was just a great overall choice.”
Seasonal Menu Focus
Every coffee shop changes its menu for different seasons. Pumpkin, apple, and cinnamon-flavored items are very popular for fall. Making menus and getting creative with them is important because it promotes the shops’ offerings. For Syed, Roasted’s creative and unique menu is especially important, particularly adding items that reflect her Indian heritage.
“I feel like it’s something we are known for — our seasonal menus. And when I think of designing a menu for fall, I think apples are a really big flavor, and chai is warm and cozy,” said Syed.
Roasted makes its own chai in-house, which connects back to Syed’s roots. Popular items on their menu include “Sweater Weather,” which was also featured last year, and Gigi’s Oatmeal Latte. Syed noted that she is a fan of pumpkin. “I personally am a big pumpkin fan, so we improved our recipe from last year, but we make our pumpkin vegan sauce in-house. That’s something we’re really proud of,” said Syed.
Supporting Businesses and Community Appeal
Meghan McCarthy, another business owner, was part of the event and shared her own granola with attendees. McCarthy has been making granola for 12 years and has sold it to the public for six years.
She sources her ingredients individually. “I make it all with individual ingredients, so I source oats locally from the farm and the nuts from Costco and different local vendors,” McCarthy said. She noted that loving to feed people tasty, healthy food helps attract people to her cafe. She said, “I love to feed people tasty, healthy food.”
LilyAnn Carlin, a regular Roasted buyer, praised the coffee. Carlin said, “I usually come to Roasted before school and get coffee in the morning since they open up at 7 a.m.” Roasted is conveniently located for Lakewood High students, as it is just up the street for a quick snack or coffee before school.
It’s clear that small businesses like Roasted are more than just local spots — with every community gathering, they’re fostering connections that make Lakewood truly special.
