CHARLOTTE N.C. — More than 35 Black-owned restaurants in the Charlotte area are participating in the inaugural Eat Black Charlotte Week.

The eight organizers are bloggers, photographers, influencers or writers. They created this week encourage diners to support Black-owned businesses.

 


What You Need To Know

  • Eat Black Charlotte week runs from June 4 through June 12

  • Participating restaurants offer prix fixe menus during week

  • The week aims to increase awareness of Black-owned businesses


After the murder of George Floyd,  Erique Berry, Shay Jackson, Lorri Ashly Lofton, Amber Owens, Ryan Jones and Cory Wilkins started Eat Black Charlotte as a hashtag. It aimed to help people find more Black-owned businesses.

“From that hashtag, it garnered several thousand posts within a matter of months,” Eat Black Charlotte Week Co-organizer DeAnna Taylor said. “The team wanted to do more. They wanted to bring more awareness. They want it to bring more visibility and of course, celebrate the business owners.”

The hashtag turned into an Instagram account highlighting Black-owned businesses. A year later, it became a week during which participating restaurants offer prix fixe menus.

DeAnna Taylor and Jenelle Kellam helped organize the week-long celebration.

Taylor is a writer and editor for a travel magazine.

“The purpose of Eat Black Charlotte is to just bring awareness and visibility and Eat Black Charlotte Week is to just bring that awareness and visibility to Charlotte-area, Black-owned businesses, as well as celebrate them, especially after struggling through the pandemic, a rough 2020, several of them being closed throughout the year and now is their return,” Taylor said.

One of the participating restaurants is Mr. Seafood, which opened in Charlotte in May of 2020.

Chika Williams and her husband decided to move forward with their business plans even though that meant opening in the middle of a pandemic.

The restaurant is mostly take-out, but does has a few tables for outdoor dining.

“We’ve been in business for a year and doubled on the goal that we set for ourselves. To me, that’s exciting because I feel we have wide space we need to cover,” Williams.

Williams, whose restaurant was featured in the Eat Black Charlotte Instagram page before, is excited to participate in the restaurant week.

“It’s not only a one-time deal because it’s one week, but that’s new customers that we probably never had before because they maybe didn’t know about Mr. Seafood,” Williams said. “Awareness is also a plus, but the main thing is getting out there and supporting Black-owned businesses.”

Koffee Kup University, a restaurant specializing in soul food, is also looking forward to welcoming regulars and new customers.

“Soul food, at least in my family and the history I know, is about togetherness, bringing everyone together, celebrating our culture. When there’s tough times in the family, death, struggle, whatever it may be, it’s about togetherness,” Koffee Kup Co-owner Shiniqua Lee said.

Eat Black Charlotte also held workshops for business owners and aspiring business owners before kicking off the restaurant week.

Eat Black Charlotte week runs through June 12. The celebration will end with the EATBLKCLT Food & Cultural Festival at Unknown Brewing from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and at 1501 South Mint from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

For more on participating restaurants, click here.