Black entrepreneurs often face disproportionate barriers to success, including limited access to business loans, less capital and lower percentages in equity compared to white entrepreneurs, as reported earlier this year by Bankrate. Moreover, the James Beard Foundation's 2023 Industry Report found that 53% of culinary business owners reported lowered profits, exacerbated by rising food and labor costs. Any of these can hinder a business' growth and sustainability, as well as make it difficult to afford advertising and marketing.
Black Restaurant Week works to address these disparities by providing marketing, advertising and public relations services to Black-owned restaurants. “That’s why we proudly do this for free — it’s peer-to-peer support for 10 days within each market and for the past nine years," said Warren Luckett, who founded BRW with managing partners Falaynn Ferrell and Derek Robinson in 2016.
“Our tagline is 'More Than Just a Week,'" Robinson says. "We encourage consumers to continue to patronize these businesses outside of the Black Restaurant Week campaign. Seek how to involve them in other opportunities to cater their personal and professional functions. Also, consumers donate to our foundation, Feed the Soul, which aims to support marginalized culinary businesses with advocacy, resources, and grants."
This year’s participating restaurants include Kessler Baking Studio, Cookie Society, Restaurant Beatrice, Smokey John’s Bar-B-Que, Casa del Vegano, Granny Jas and more.
Elizabeth Anderson, chef and owner of Casa del Vegano, is especially excited to share the restaurant’s casamiento with diners. The dish comprises coconut rice, black beans and vegan fried scallops made from King Oyster mushrooms, and it’s one Tabitha Brown raved about on a recent visit to Dallas.
“Everything we have is loaded with flavor and love,” Anderson says. “We are super excited to be a part of something so important for the visibility of Black-owned restaurants as well as highlighting Black culinary professionals.”
Here’s the full list of this year’s participating restaurants:
- Belzoni’s Catfish Cafe, 110 N. Jim Wright Freeway, White Settlement
- Blend’s Daiquiri Cafe, 4904 Main St., The Colony
- Casa del Vegano, 333 W. Jefferson Blvd., Dallas
- Chef Point Restaurant & Bar, 5220 Hwy. 121, Colleyville
- Cookie Society, 9320 Dallas Parkway, No. 160, Frisco
- Granny Jas, 4818 March Ave., Dallas
- Kessler Baking Studio, 1129 N. Beckley Ave., Dallas
- Kitchen + Kocktails by Kevin Kelley, 1933 Elm St., Dallas
- Reggae Wings & Tings, 3315 N. Town East Blvd., Mesquite
- Restaurant Beatrice, 111 N. Beckley Ave., Dallas
- Shells and Tails 2 Geaux, Inc., 324 E. Belt Line Road, Desoto
- Smoke ’N' Ash BBQ, 5904 S. Cooper St., No. 110, Arlington
- Smokey John’s BBQ, 1820 W. Mockingbird Lane, Dallas
- The Daiquiri Shoppe, 684 W. Pioneer Parkway, No. 100, Grand Prairie
- Vegan Vibrationz, 7800 Windrose Ave., Plano
Avery’s Savory Popcorn, 1001 Ross Ave., No. 102, Dallas
Black Restaurant Week, Dallas. Friday, March 15 — Sunday, March 24.
