Black Restaurant Week Shines A Light On Mouth-Watering Menus And Dope Culinary Professionals

This year’s partnership reaches a national scale.

As Black Restaurant Week L.L.C. enters its eighth year, the organization will host its “More Than Just a Week” campaign, a series of culinary experiences to promote Black-owned businesses and professionals in the culinary space.

According to a press release, the campaign aims to keep Black-owned culinary businesses afloat by raising awareness for minority restaurateurs, bartenders, chefs, caterers, and food truck owners across the U.S., to boost economic health within the Black community.

Black Restaurant Week has partnered with several corporations, including the State Farm Arena in Atlanta and NASCAR, to provide DEI and expansion opportunities, especially following the financial hit many Black professionals took during the pandemic. This year, the organization will work alongside Stella Artois to provide a selection of culinary events to merge the tastes of cultural dishes with the brand’s Belgian beer in markets that include Atlanta, DC, Houston, Chicago, and New York.

“As a brand that has been dedicated to the industry for years, and a longstanding partner of Black Restaurant Week in local markets, Stella is thrilled to bring this partnership to a national scale this year,” said Marcela Garcia, VP of Marketing for Stella Artois.

Black Restaurant Week’s Operations Managing Partner Falayn Ferrell said the organization’s Feed the Soul Foundation Restaurant Business Fund is supported by its corporate partners, which allow the foundation to provide “funding and business development to create sustainability for minority-owned culinary businesses.”

“Our work with Black Restaurant Week and Feed the Soul Foundation will ensure that minority-owned neighborhood restaurants, as well as chefs from underrepresented groups across the U.S., get the recognition to ensure a long and successful future,” Garcia stated.

Campaign initiatives and events for 2023 include inclusion in the organization’s national culinary directory; Small Business Grants and Business Development training from Black Restaurant Week’s Feed the Soul Foundation; Stella Artois activations in key markets; and a donation program with Stella Artois and the Feed the Soul Foundation.

Black Restaurant Week L.L.C. was founded in 2016 by Warren Luckett and has supported over 3,000 culinary professionals. In 2022, the organization supported 1,700 Black-owned culinary businesses across the U.S., and participants saw an average increase in sales by 15%.