Papaya Fruit Market Opens Upscale Sixth Store in West Dearborn

DEARBORN, MICHIGAN — Papaya Fruit Market, a well-known Metro Detroit grocery chain, celebrated the grand opening of its sixth location in West Dearborn this week, marking a new chapter in its 23-year history.

Community Leaders Join Ribbon Cutting

The ribbon-cutting ceremony at 22521 Michigan Avenue drew a large crowd, including U.S. Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Debbie Dingell, Wayne County Executive Warren Evans, and Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud. City council members and Michigan Economic Development Corporation representatives also attended.

Tlaib praised the store’s role in the local economy and community life, presenting founder Khalil Saad with a Congressional certificate of recognition. She added that her mother is “a big fan of Papaya Fruit Markets.”

First Middle Eastern Supermarket in West Dearborn

The new store is the first Middle Eastern supermarket in West Dearborn, a growing hub for Arab American families. Like its other locations in Dearborn, Dearborn Heights, Detroit, and Canton, the store offers:

• Fresh produce
• Halal beef and chicken
• A bakery and hot kitchen
• Imported goods from Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Turkey, Egypt, India, and Indonesia

Mayor Hammoud called Papaya’s expansion an example of how Dearborn supports immigrant-owned businesses, recalling his own father’s experience running a local store in the 1980s.

A Story of Growth and Service

Khalil Saad opened the first Papaya Fruit Market in 2002, just four years after immigrating to the U.S. from Lebanon. Over two decades later, the chain has earned a reputation for quality products and community engagement.

Saad’s son, Ibrahim Saad, now helps oversee operations, continuing traditions like weekly discount programs to assist low-income families. Publisher Osama Siblani of The Arab American News commended Papaya’s staff for their service and dedication.

Giving Back Beyond Business

Saad emphasized that the market’s success has always come with a responsibility to serve others: “There are always people in need, and it’s very important to me to extend a helping hand to the poor and the vulnerable.”

In addition to the Papaya chain, Saad runs Saad Trading, a wholesale company with warehouses in Michigan that supplies products nationwide.

Looking Ahead

The new West Dearborn store represents both growth and gratitude, as Papaya Fruit Market strengthens its role as a cultural and community cornerstone in Metro Detroit.

Do you shop at Papaya Fruit Market? Share your favorite products and experiences with us in the comments on FatCityFeed.com.