Featured photo: Twanda Plair
Photos provided by Twanda Plair
Written by Tanya Terry
Twanda Plair, who is 51 years old, recently told the Courier she feels like an accomplished individual when asked about it. Plair owns several businesses in the Flint area. Plair explained she never really thought about going into business before retiring from her job as a police officer for the City of Flint.
“I’ve always wanted to travel and be a musician,” she said.
Plair worked as a police officer for approximately 25 years. She explained why she did eventually become a business owner.
“I just know that I was too young to receive a pension to continue to work,” she stated. “God gave me a vision for this business.”
Plair added she was speaking about her first business: the Snack Shack, which is a pizzeria and a small convenience store. The Snack Shack opened in March of 2020.
Plair also has a grass cutting business called Lavish Lawns. In addition, she owns Flint Wall Street, which she described as a marketplace.
“I have various vendors in there that sell a variety of things-from jewelry, to clothing, to sweets, to crafts.”
Plair started with 21 vendors in the marketplace and has different people move in and move out all the time.
“It’s a facility that’s available for anyone who wants to be an entrepreneur or open their own business.”
Plair has two community employees at the Snack Shack.
“The other employees are my family.”
Plair explained she feels a lot of people have visions and they have dreams-but may not have a good support team to help them get started.
“There’s a lot of people that have a lot of great ideas and a lot of talent that can bring revenue into the city and jobs.”
Three of Plair’s businesses are located in the Beecher Road Plaza, which is located at the intersection of Beecher and Calkins roads. She is also planning to open the Southern Grounds, an upscale restaurant which will feature live entertainment, in what used to be the Encore Club.
Plair feels it is uncommon for Blacks to own pizzerias in Flint and does not know of any other Black pizzeria owners in the county. Plair explained why after opening the Snack Shack she opened Flint Wall Street.
“I know when the COVID hit, a lot of people were opening businesses out of their home, and it’s not easy to open up a business. So, I opened up to help guide people and give them the opportunity to open up their own.”
She explained she is opening Southern Grounds because of the lack of upscale restaurants in the city outside of downtown.
Plair gets her customers not only through planned advertising, but also through word of mouth.
In the future, Plair hopes to expand her carryout pizzeria to be a full-fledged sit down restaurant. Plair would like to one day buy the Beecher Road Plaza or another plaza or mall in Flint because she wants to give back to her own community. She wants to open employment opportunities for people living in the city.
“My advice to people that are opening up business is never give up on yourself. Never give up on the business. Customers are not going to come every day, and you’re not going to make money every day in the beginning. But through advertising and being diligent towards your own business and not taking shortcuts-doing it all legitimate, legal and right-you’ll survive. You’ll be fine”
Plair added she loves the Lord and said she can’t do anything without Him.
“None of these businesses would be in existence if I didn’t trust and have faith in Him.”
