Grab your forks and get ready to get your grub on—Black Restaurant Week is here! From April 28 to May 7 (and beyond!), show your support for local Black-owned businesses throughout the Triangle while celebrating African American, African and Caribbean cuisines.
Launched in 2016 in Houston by founders Warren Luckett, Falayn Ferrell and Derek Robinson, BRW has since expanded its reach to communities throughout North America, and their efforts have only escalated since the pandemic given how hard the food and bev industry was hit.
For minority-owned businesses, the impacts are especially long-lasting. So the BRW team is on a mission to ease those lingering pandemic pains with their More Than Just a Week campaign focused on restimulating local Black communities by promoting Black-owned culinary businesses and professionals who cannot afford marketing efforts.
“COVID-19 changed the landscape since 2020,” explains Luckett. “Now the price of food is soaring. From being overlooked for revitalization funds to inflation, most Black-owned culinary businesses cannot afford advertisements/PR/marketing to build awareness and attract consumers. That’s why we proudly do this for free—it’s peer-to-peer support for 10 or 14 days within each market and for the past seven years.”
In addition to boosting sales and educating the community on the abundance of cuisines in the area, Black Restaurant Week also helps business owners secure grants and training through its Feed the Soul Foundation. We’ll eat to that.
So, what’s first on your culinary agenda? Here, a few options to get you started.
Blend of Soul
100% natural cold-pressed juice made from fresh locally sourced ingredients delivered straight to your door. Oh, kale yeah.
Blu Tee Spoon
You won’t even miss the meat in these gourmet vegan burgs—best enjoyed with a side of vegan mac and cheese and the signature hibiscus lemonade.
Uncorked Raleigh
Nosh on tapas while you sip your favorite vino—or grab a bottle (or three) to go.
Bon Fritay Haitian Street Food
Authentic Haitian street food (think rice bowls, fritay bowls and more) on the go.
Royal Cheesecake and Varieties
Old-school desserts (lemon pound cake, anyone?) get an innovative twist. Chicken and waffle cheesecake? Um—yes, please!
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