The Faygo story is not only the history of a company that has forged a bond with a city and its residents for more than a century, but a reflection of the spirit and history of Detroit itself. The story of Faygo, Detroit’s beloved soda pop, begins over a hundred years ago with two Russian immigrant brothers who were looking to get out of the baking business. Starting with little more than pots, pails, hoses, and a one-horse wagon, Ben and Perry Feigenson launched their business in the middle of the 1907 global financial meltdown. Through recessions and the Great Depression, wartime politics, the rise and fall of Detroit’s population, and the never-ending challenges to the industry, the Feigensons persisted.
Joe Grimm, author of the “The Faygo Book”, will share the values that made Faygo an integral part of communities across Michigan. “The Faygo Book” is the story of a pop, a people, and a place. These stories and facts will tickle the taste buds and memories of Detroiters and Faygo lovers everywhere, with a few award-winning TV commercials thrown in. “The Faygo Book” is a 2019 Michigan Notable Book. Stay sharp because there WILL be a pop quiz. Why, we might even have a sing-along.
Mr. Grimm says he wrote “The Faygo Book” after building up a tremendous thirst on his previous book, “Coney Detroit.” Both are published by Wayne State University Press. Grimm, a lifelong Detroit area resident, is a journalism professor at Michigan State University. With his students or by himself, he has published more than 20 books. One MSU student gave Grimm the contact for high school English teacher Susie Feigenson, granddaughter of Ben, one of Faygo’s founding brothers. She was key to writing and illustrating the book. Grimm’s favorite Faygo flavor is Rock & Rye.
The program takes place on Saturday, August 17th, at Northwest Unitarian Universalist Church in Southfield. Doors open at 5pm. The program begins at 6pm. Please note the new starting time! Following the presentation, join us for dinner at Buddy’s Pizza, located at 31646 Northwestern Hwy., in Farmington Hills, Just East of Middlebelt Rd.
The program takes place on Saturday, August 17th, at
Northwest Unitarian Universalist Church in Southfield
23925 Northwestern Hwy
Southfield, MI 48075
Doors open at 5pm. The program begins at 6pm. Please note the new starting time!
Following the presentation, join us for dinner at Buddy’s Pizza, located at 31646 Northwestern Hwy., in Farmington Hills, Just East of Middlebelt Rd.