MEEFERS - Just 4 Us

“An Emporium.” “A dating board.” “A café.” “A restaurant.” All euphemisms JUST 4 US owner Kevin Rogers used to describe his place of business at 211 West Nine Mile Road – which is something of a cross between a café and a gay Wal Mart. “A store has everything you need,” from greeting cards to undergarments, from biscotti to erotica.

Besides having a treasure trove of LGBT books, JUST 4 US doubles as a good place to spot who’s who in the LGBT community. Says barista Tony Dijon, “Local celebrities pop in all the time, but we respect their privacy. We provide a nice, clean, safe environment for them to come out and enjoy.”

Since becoming the owner, Rogers has added several new product lines to the former bookstore. “We added and adult section, a greeting card section, and we have over one thousand DVDs for rent,” Rogers said. Added Dijon: “You can come in, grab a bottle of lube, and a DVD to go home with!”

The “emporium” also features straight fare. “We have wall-to-wall greeting cards,” said Dijon, “but many of them, like everything else here, are open to the straight community.” Rogers added, “I’m the only place on Nine Mile you can get a greeting card.” To which Dijon quipped, “We put a twist on it though – instead of a receipt in the bag, we put pornos!”

JUST 4 US has business hours as eclectic as the store itself. From eleven to eight, Monday through Wednesday, and from eleven to ten, Thursday and Friday (days featuring a massage therapist). Saturdays are eleven to eight and Sundays are eleven to five. “The only consistency is eleven,” says Rogers. “Gays don’t like to get up early but they stay late.”

Rogers believes he doesn’t have a lot of competition in his particular niche: “We don’t have competition; not too many emporiums around. There’s adult theme stores and dirty stores, but I have customers who bring their kids in.”

Rogers says he gets a lot of support from the LGBT community, especially from its youth: “When they’re home with their families on holidays and out of school, the kids just come in and inhale. They Breathe. They just want to breathe gay air.”

Meefers.com has sampled the air and assures its readers it’s the same air as everywhere else…but with a little twist. Which makes it just for us!

Just 4 Us

211 West 9 Mile Road

Ferndale, MI 48220

(248) 547-5878

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