Black-owned restaurants marking Black Restaurant Week in Columbus

Courtesy of Columbus Business First
By Dan Eaton
July 27, 2021

Diners looking to try something new or support an old favorite can partake in Black Restaurant Week, happening now.

The Midwest event, which includes organized efforts in Columbus, Cleveland, Kansas City and elsewhere, started July 23 and runs through Aug. 1.

The national program was founded in 2016 by Warren Luckett, Falayn Ferrell and Derek Robinson in Houston. It since has spread to other regions and cities around the country and counts more than 670 minority-owned businesses that participate.

“We had phenomenal success last year with the regional campaigns and wanted to continue that model to help businesses nationwide,” Luckett said in a news release. “There were so many testimonials from restaurant participants of how this campaign helped keep their doors open.”

Businesses see an average sales boost of 34% during the week.

Central Ohio participants include Can’t Believe It’s Vegan, J’s Sweet Treats, Dos Hermanos, Shrimp Lips Seafood, Fay’s Crepes, Trillaa Cooks and Camelot Cellars, among others.

The directory of participating businesses can be found here.

Restaurants are offering fixed-price brunch, lunch and dinner specials as part of the program.

The founders started the event to help build awareness of Black-owned food businesses including restaurants, bars, food trucks, bakeries and caterers, among others.

Their goal is not just to educate about cuisine but also to support businesses that face added systemic barriers such as disproportionate access to business loans. Camelot Cellars owner Renard Green spoke with Columbus Business First last year about the issues he faced as he sought funding for his business. The Columbus Urban League and Columbus Chamber also recently teamed up to better support Black-owned businesses, including several area eateries.