Tenacity Brewing's Singalong Brunch Highlights Flint's Growing Small-Business Social Scene

At Tenacity Brewing's 119 North Grand Traverse Street taproom, a $40 ticket bought three hours of brunch, a first drink and a place in a women-centered singalong on July 12. The Girls Only Singalong Brunch ran from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Flint. Tickets included entry, unlimited brunch plates and a first drink. The 21-and-older event required advance tickets and invited guests to embrace a pajama-party theme in pajamas, robes or muumuus.

This was not simply brunch. It was a deliberately women-centered social space, built around singing, conversation and the freedom to show up as yourself. Tamra Klaty, co-owner of Tenacity Brewing, called it "a way to celebrate womanhood in a fun, welcoming, and judgment-free space." For guests who can afford the ticket, the event bundles food, drinks and connection into one paid outing.

Tenacity Brewing operates from a renovated old fire station on the Flint River. The reclaimed firehouse includes a bar area, a den with couches and chairs, and other seating spaces.

The singalong brunch returned rather than appearing as a one-time promotion. Tamra Klaty created the Girls Just Want to Have Fun Singalong Brunch as a place for attendees to "let loose, sing along, connect with other women, and just be yourself," Tamra Klaty, co-owner of Tenacity Brewing, said. For a small venue, that kind of recurring event can give customers a reason to return and spend again—not just on beer, but on the atmosphere and sense of community the business provides.

That approach is deeply Flint-rooted. Tenacity opened in February 2015 as the city's first craft brewery. Tamra Klaty and Robb Klaty are co-owners of Tenacity Brewing and also run other local Flint businesses including Flint Crepe Company and Table and Tap. "Beer is what I love, but it was never in anybody's mind to do this anywhere but Flint," Robb Klaty, co-owner of Tenacity Brewing, said.

Who gets to build businesses in Flint is part of the larger question of downtown revitalization. The Ruth Mott Foundation announced a $500,000 program-related investment and a $450,000 grant to Michigan Women Forward to establish an on-the-ground Flint presence with 100K Ideas, focusing on women and entrepreneurs of color excluded from traditional banking. "Too many entrepreneurs are told they're not ready for funding when what they really need is a partner to help them get there," Carolyn Cassin, president and CEO of Michigan Women Forward, said. "This investment allows us to be present in Flint, build relationships locally, and provide the kind of coaching and access to capital that can help businesses grow and create long-term economic opportunity." "Entrepreneurs in Flint have the vision and drive to build thriving businesses, but can face barriers to accessing capital," Sue Peters, president of the Ruth Mott Foundation, said. "The MWF model builds on existing efforts by adding a layer of financing and hands-on support—working alongside the community and local partners to ensure more businesses can start, grow, and succeed right here in Flint."

Still, a $40 brunch brings Flint's larger economic divide into view. A business needs customers with discretionary income to survive, while many residents face tight budgets and uneven access to opportunity. Flint's median individual income was $23,997 in 2024, while median household income was $37,646. About 34.1 percent of Flint residents—26,700 people—lived below the poverty line that year. The Flint MSA unemployment rate stood at 6.1 percent in May 2026, down 0.2 percentage points from the prior year but still the fourth-highest among 113 metro areas with labor forces between 100,000 and 250,000 people.

Downtown's small-business mix includes Rootless Coffee in Shops on Saginaw, Cork on Saginaw wine bar, Sweetwater Tavern and Soriano's Mexican Kitchen, while Totem Books operates on W. Court Street. But the ecosystem remains fragile: Comma Bookstore closed its physical storefront in December 2025. Elsewhere in Flint, the weekly Momentum and Motivation Mondays marketplace on Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue is boosting foot traffic, supporting small vendors and activating a historic shopping district.

Downtown activation has been an explicit local goal for years. Kiaira May became executive director of the Flint Downtown Development Authority in June 2021, the first African American woman to hold the role, and served until her resignation in May 2023. Jerin Sage has led the What's Up Downtown initiative since 2022, succeeding Kady Yellow, who was hired as the DDA's director of placemaking in early 2020 and left in late 2021.

The question is not whether Tenacity's customers deserve places to gather, or whether the brewery should charge for the work of creating them. Small businesses need revenue. The harder question is whether a growing slate of ticketed social events can create benefits beyond the people already able to buy in.

Flint is also pursuing cultural participation through a different model—public support that lowers the price of admission. The Flint Cultural Center offers free general admission to Sloan Museum of Discovery and the Flint Institute of Arts, along with discounted planetarium shows and live performances, funded by the Genesee County Arts Education & Cultural Enrichment Millage. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued an official proclamation declaring July 2026 as Michigan Beer Month, recognizing the contributions of Michigan's beer industry and encouraging residents to celebrate and support local breweries and beer businesses statewide.

Tenacity's brunch shows that Flint residents will pay for a gathering place that pairs food, drinks and belonging. A full measure of cultural revival, though, rests on whether Flint can sustain both the businesses that depend on customer spending and the public, lower-cost access that lets more residents share in the city's cultural life—whether the boutique event economy can translate into scalable job creation and neighborhood-wide revitalization or remain a parallel track serving a narrower demographic.