Photos: Twitter\Black Restaurant Week
The following press statement was released by Black Restaurant Week LLC regarding Black Restaurant week in New York City which runs from June 17th to July 3rd:
Founded by Warren Luckett, Falayn Ferrell and Derek Robinson, Black Restaurant Week LLC, the organization responsible for celebrating the flavors of African American, African and Caribbean cuisine with a series of regional cultural events, celebrates seven years of service and has supported more than 2,000 restaurants since 2016.
The survival of Black-owned culinary businesses is in jeopardy. Less than 20% of U.S. employer businesses are minority-owned, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Black Restaurant Week – NYC joins the nationwide tour and the palate-pleasing showcase begins on Friday, June 17 until Sunday, July 3. We’re expecting more than 100 restaurants to sign up and extended the 10-day event to 17 days for our NYC markets!
Most businesses do not have marketing/PR/advertising dollars to promote their business; thus, BRW was developed to shine a light on minority businesses – aiding them in building community awareness to increase their bottom line.
Last year, the organization supported 1200 Black-owned culinary businesses across the United States – including Toronto and Vancouver – and generated an average of 15% sales increase.
According to the Independent Restaurant Coalition, 500,000 restaurants and bars are faced with an uncertain future due to lost revenue and increased debt over the past 22 months. 1.1 million minority-owned businesses often face heightened challenges and disparities when securing business funding. The shocking statistics championed Black Restaurant Week’s More Than Just a Week campaign.
2022 campaign initiatives and events include, but are not limited to:
- Free entry-level business registration and inclusion in national culinary directory organization’s website
- Online culinary marketplace retailing Black-owned food and houseware brands
- NOSH Culinary Showcase to create and highlight business opportunities for catering companies and private chefs
- Soundbites Food Truck Parks to showcase and drive business to food trucks
- Small Business Grants and Business Development training from Black Restaurant Week’s non-profit Feed the Soul Foundation
“More Than Just a Week speaks to our commitment to support the Black culinary community throughout the entire year,” states Falayn Ferrell, Black Restaurant Week, LLC’s Operations Managing Partner. “More than 90,000 restaurants and bars closed nationwide since 2020, it is essential that we create a platform that drives awareness to Black-owned culinary businesses outside of our culinary tour.”
Black Restaurant Week was founded in 2016 by three friends: Warren Luckett, Falayn Ferrell and Derek Robinson. It began as a one-city food experience in Houston. The mission: celebrate African American, African, and Caribbean influences in the culinary industry, educate consumers on the abundance of cultural cuisines. The organization supports restauranteurs, bartenders, chefs, caterers, and food trucks.
For more information about Black Restaurant Week, its events and participating restaurants, please visit: blackrestaurantweeks.com
Restaurant Week LLC is an annual, multi-city culinary movement celebrating the flavors of African American, African, and Caribbean cuisine nationwide. Black Restaurant Week partners with Black-owned restaurants, chefs, caterers, and food trucks to host a selection of culinary experiences aimed to expand awareness and increase support for Black culinary professionals. The organization was founded in 2016 by Warren Luckett, Falayn Ferrell and Derek Robinson. Connect with Black Restaurant Week on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.
