CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Black Restaurant Week went underway in Chicago on Sunday, Sept. 10.
“I felt that there was a need for one, because there’s a lot of restaurants that are Black-owned that are not known,” said Kathryn Miles, who owns Kathryn’s Soul at the Chicago French Market downtown.
This is Miles’ first year participating in Black Restaurant Week, which, contrary to the name, will actually run for the next two weeks.
“Maybe because we don’t have the money for marketing or different things that other restaurants may have,” she said.
Falayn Ferrell is the managing partner of Black Restaurant Week, which began in Houston in 2016.
“A lot more restaurants in our community are fast-casual, counter-served style restaurants, so we wanted to create a platform that was a little bit more inclusive for them, for your bakeries, [and] your food trucks," Ferrell said. "That’s really why we founded Black Restaurant Week. We just wanted to showcase the great things they were bringing to the culinary conversation.”
More than 40 Chicago restaurants are participating.
Ferrell said she sees a lot of diversity in the Black culinary world.
“Everyone assumes soul food, which we have some beautiful soul food restaurants participating,” she said. “But we also have creole, we have vegan restaurants, you have your rib tips, you have so many different … things you can find in the city.”
Terri Evans jokes that she is the waitress, dishwasher and owner of Windy City Ribs & Whiskey.
“As an owner of a small business, you do it all,” Evans said.
Evans said she finds herself doing payroll one day and the dishes the next. She recently opened her second restaurant location at Navy Pier and said it’s a blessing. Evans explained there were many obstacles fighting against the opportunity for her to be in such prime real estate but upper management at Navy Pier helped her succeed.
“The survival rate of restaurants is already challenging in itself, regardless of ethnicity, but I think as a Black owner, you’re up against the fact that we’re undercapitalized and under-resourced,” said Evans.
Windy City Ribs and the newly opened Koto Hibachi are other Chicago Black-owned restaurants highlighted during Black Restaurant Week.
“We’ve been here since January,” said Nicole Strickland. “You don’t have to sit next to a family waiting on the onion volcano, you can just come here.”
The fourth annual Black Restaurant Week campaign in the Midwest Region highlights Black-owned culinary businesses throughout Chicago, Detroit, Kansas City, Columbus and additional surrounding metro areas.
The event is ongoing from Sept. 10- 24. Check out the full list of participating restaurants here.
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