black-owned businesses California 2025 through creativity, community and culture. They span culinary, wellness, fashion, artistry and social spaces. Entrepreneurs in this movement are connecting and reshaping everyday life from San Francisco to Los Angeles.
These 10 businesses embody innovation, resilience and identity. Each founder is pouring purpose and talent into spaces that invite discovery, comfort, joy and empowerment. This article celebrates the top 10 Black-owned businesses in California in 2025.
1. Lou The French On The Block (Bakery & Café – Burbank)
Laurent “Lou” Correa founded Lou The French On The Block in Burbank in June 2016 with his wife Karima. black-owned businesses California 2025 He learned how to bake by watching videos on YouTube and used money earned from catering jobs to open a bakery. Lou produces much softer and chewier croissants than usual; the menu includes tarts, quiches, éclairs, sandwiches, coffee, tea, and financiers. He bakes croissants just before opening and sources organic ingredients daily. He named the café “Lou The French On The Block” as a welcoming, playful nod to himself and local culture. The bakery is only open Fridays through Sundays, but draws devoted customers who come for pastries and the atmosphere. Every flaky bite rewards community support, culinary excellence and authentic storytelling.
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2. Reparations Club (Concept Bookshop & Creative Space-Los Angeles)
Jazzi McGilbert founded the Reparations Club in 2019 after her mother passed. She turned grief and nostalgia into a concept bookshop and creative venue “curated by Blackness”. She designed the space to feel like a cool friend’s living room with texture, art, soft seating and warmth. Her store hosts author talks, screenings, Saturday Morning Cartoons, karaoke nights and book-driven events that build community energy. Her creative direction background shaped her vision, and she partners with BIPOC businesses to uplift each other. McGilbert is expanding her platform while honoring her mother’s memory, nurturing curiosity and centering Black joy in everything she does.
3. Coffee and Plants
Incorporating greenery and specialty coffee under one roof, Coffee and Plants serves customers who are into plants as well as those who are into caffeine. Every visitor steps into a plant paradise. The founder hand-picks the foliage to match the seasonal brew roasts. They source ethically and offer organic teas and charge nice prices and support plant rescues and local growers. Coffee and plant have house blends named after tropical species and fresh florals. They host weekly plant-swap meetups and silent reading mornings. Also they are staffed with botanical experts who can advise on plant care while pulling coffee shots. They grow green connections both botanical and human and they want to nourish body, mind and your urban jungle at once.
4. Brothers Keeper BBQ
Brothers Keeper BBQ brings the heat to the San Diego food scene with soulful smoked meats and big flavor. After backyard BBQs for years, two brothers got started in 2020. They do briskets, pulled pork, ribs, and house sauces that walk the thin line between spice and smoky sweetness. Family meal kits for easy indulging at home are their offerings. They partner with nearby schools to feed students and sponsor weekend pop-up meals and display hand-crafted fences and photos of community members and ancestors. Brother keeper BBQ’s staff with neighborhood youth and teach skills in the kitchen. They host regional BBQ competitions and win fans with flavor and generosity and feed plates and hearts with care.
5. The Gourmet Cobbler Factory
The Gourmet Cobbler Factory bakes warm, gooey cobblers in Sacramento with a California twist. A third-generation baker opened it in 2018 after mastering pies. They layer fruit peaches, berries, citrus with buttery, crumb-topped filling and adapt cobbler recipes regionally, adding citrus zest or local berries depending on the season. Also they package under glass jackets for fancy gifting and late-night cravings. They supply farmers markets, boutiques and weddings across NorCal and they hold DIY cobbler bar events as customers assemble their own with eclectic toppings. They bear gluten-free, vegan, and low-sugar flags in taste. Their founder teaches baking at local libraries. They believe in preserving tradition while embracing dietary differences. They nourish tradition and innovation one comforting bite at a time.
6. Cea-Lo L.A
Cea-Lo L. A serves bold, street-wear fashion rooted in West Coast culture. The brand was started by a Black Filipino designer in 2021 to celebrate intersectional identity and art. Think graphic tees, hoodies, and accessories with local music, art, and activism as their inspiration. Online sales and occasional pop-up shops at urban markets in Long Beach and East L.A. constitute their retail operation. Other interdisciplinary collaborations include muralists who have hosted joint workshops and fashion showcases. Proceeds from sales also go to supporting youth art programs. They produce sustainably with eco-friendly fabrics and local textile partners. They grow their brand by spotlighting community stories and pushing fashion with meaning.
7. Goodpeople
Goodpeople welcomes coffee lovers, artists, and neighbors in Oakland. The founder wanted a space where espresso, art, and conversation could collide. Coffee here is ethically sourced. Light eats and brunch find their occasion amongst art installations. They do host many occasions, among them open mic nights, poetry slams, and local makers’ markets. Adjacent communities’ gardens collaborate in adorning the space with indigenous plants. They train baristas in community engagement and social equity practices. Goodpeople are a safe and inclusive space for all identities and donate a portion of weekend profits to neighborhood literacy programs. They believe in caffeinating creativity and deepening roots through connection and shared stories.
8. Butter Bakery
Butter Bakery spoils Los Angeles with rich pastries, custom cakes, and buttery goodness. They offer cinnamon rolls, custom-layered cakes, and playful cookies with nostalgic flavors and they hey offer monthly subscription boxes with curated seasonal pastries. Butter Bakery host pop-up bake classes for kids and families and they design pastry bars for weddings and corporate events. They package individually wrapped treats for convenience. And they use high-quality butter and local fruit. They start every morning before dawn to ensure freshness and they also make sweetness that connects celebrations and communities.
9. Bare Box Sugaring
Bare Box Sugaring provides natural body care in San Diego with professional sugaring services. The founder, a licensed esthetician, mixes honey and lemon for gentle hair removal. They design beautiful treatment rooms and use only organic, vegan-safe ingredients and they cater to sensitive skin and offer waxing alternatives with less irritation. Also they train staff in self-care, consent, and body positivity and they also offer mobile services for events and bridal parties. They host body-positive workshops and donate free services to survivors and source clean skincare products and create educational content for Instagram. Bare box combine beauty, healing, and empowerment with every appointment.
10. Underground Café
Undergrind Café combines specialty coffee and community in Los Angeles. The owner founded it in 2018 to create a neighborhood spot. The beans are roasted locally, seasonal lattes are offered, and there are cozy nooks decorated with art from emerging Black artists. They also collaborate with local non-profit agencies to arrange pop-up clinics and wellness fairs and they sell merch and coffee subscriptions. They train baristas in cultural awareness and inclusive service and open daily and have bar seating for remote workers.
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Community Impact & Future Vision
These 10 businesses impact California communities. They create unique experiences through food, literature, beauty, art, fashion and wellness and they open doors, feed bodies and minds with intention and care and they create spaces where identity and joy can flourish and support local suppliers, train staff on equity and reinvest profits into programs. They host events that bring together neighbors and artists. And they amplify creative voices, build cultural capital and heal through commerce.
Looking to 2026 and beyond, each business owner plans to expand thoughtfully. Lou might open a second bakery. Jazzi is considering a publishing arm for Black authors. Butter Bakery wants to offer wholesale to boutique grocers. Coffee and Plants will launch a mobile plant-coffee truck. Bare Box Sugaring may open additional locations in SoCal. They shape culture, equity and possibility one bold step at a time.
