The Fanous family continues to invest in Flint—and is now rebuilding after a car plowed into their business. Shown here is Elias, who owns University Market, and his father George, who often works there. Jake Carah
FLINT, Michigan—University Market is open. Always.
Twenty-four hours a day. Even when a car drives through the front of the building.
University Market is an unassuming and dependable neighborhood staple. It’s one of the few stores on the westside where neighbors can walk to get a few basic supplies or stop in for a quick cup of coffee on the way to work.
The Fanous family, which owns and operates University Market, came to the Flint area in the mid- to late-1970s. They took over the former 7/11 in 2005. You can often find family patriarch, George Fanous, behind the counter. He is a man of few words, but knows everyone by name.
George’s wife and a son also are among the employees here, and the business is owned by another son, Elias Fanous, a local attorney. Elias bought the building in 2013 and all the equipment from 7/11 the following year.
The younger Fanous, like his father, has a quick smile, giving nods and greetings to people coming in through the door.
“It’s a lot of work. This location is 24 hours, and people are accustom to us to being open all the time,” Elias Fanous said. “We have garden variety products for a corner store, basics for food, bread, cereal, but I’d say coffee is the biggest thing for people going to work at the hospitals.”
Elias admits keeping the neighborhood store open can be a struggle in the Vehicle City, but their biggest challenge was one that no one could have predicted.
On Halloween morning in 2015, just after midnight, Elias said he got a call that there was a problem at the store.
“I get a call and my dad says someone hit the building,” Elias Fanous said. “I said, ‘WHAT!? What do you mean hit the building! You’re kidding!’ but sure enough I turned on the camera, the guy was coming in to buy some drinks and he was diabetic and his blood sugar had dropped. … When he passed out behind the wheel in front of the store, he rammed and broke the wall block, shattered the door, and the engineer said we had a crack along both walls.”
Fanous’ father was training a new employee at the time when the old Buick Cutlass came through the door. No one was injured, but it took more than a year of back and forth with the insurance company for the family to be compensated for the damage, Elias Fanous said.
Of course, the market stayed open that whole time—although it was mostly open to the elements throughout the winter with just a tarp and heater behind the counter. Now construction is underway to repair and refresh the corner store.
Their investment also includes additional security upgrades and a continued commitment to keep the small, family business open. Always.
“I know it’s crazy, but we love it here and we want to give back. Flint has been good to us we want to do our part,” Elias Fanous said.
University Market is located at 2501 Flushing Road in Flint, just north of the Mott Park neighborhood, St. John Vianney church and school, and Kettering University.
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