According to the Independent Restaurant Coalition, 500,000 restaurants and bars face an uncertain future due to lost revenue and increased debt over the past 22 months. In fact, 1.1 million minority-owned businesses often face heightened challenges and disparities when securing business funding.
To meet this challenge and in its second year, Feed the Soul Foundation, the non-profit arm of Black Restaurant Week, LLC, announced their cohort program to support marginalized restaurant entrepreneurs financially and professionally through the Restaurant Business Development Grant Program.
Through the support of the Grubhub Community Fund‚ the presenting program partner, Feed the Soul Foundation’s grant program will award 30 small businesses with $10,000 financial stipends and six months of business development services as they prepare to navigate the post-COVID world and the ever-changing consumer dining trends.
Founded by entrepreneurs Falayn Farrell, Warren Luckett and Derek Robinson, the foundation increased its funding from the 2021 Restaurant Business Development Grant Program by $50,000 and expanded its reach to support Latin-owned culinary businesses in addition to black-owned culinary businesses.
“Small businesses are still in recovery mode because of a two-year long pandemic. It is our responsibility to ensure they are not facing these hardships alone,” said Falayn Ferrell, chairwoman of Feed the Soul Foundation and co-founder of Black Restaurant Week. “Last year’s program was extremely successful in the revitalization of black-owned culinary businesses, and we are more than excited to expand our services to support additional marginalized communities. We are deeply committed to providing solutions to issues faced by restaurateurs such as human resources, marketing, and operations.”
Cohorts will work alongside subject matter experts and consultants during the six-month program that will further their growth and knowledge of the restaurant industry, focusing on financial literacy training and financial coaching, advertising and marketing training, and one-on-one business development consultation from industry experts.
The awarded cohort includes the following businesses:
- Aksum Café (Philadelphia, Pa.)
- Alfreda's Soul (Houston, Texas)
- Blends Daiquiri Lounge (Dallas, Texas)
- Brotherly Grub (Philadelphia, Pa.)
- Cochinita & Co. (Houston, Texas)
- Cocobreeze Restaurant (Oakland, Calif.)
- Cool Runnings Jamaican Restaurant (Daytona, Fla.)
- Deddle's Mini Donuts (Pikesville, Md.)
- Dos Hermanos Taco Truck (Columbus, Ohio)
- England Eatery Café (Baltimore, Md.)
- Forsyth Seafood Market & Café (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
- Fruve xPress Juicery (Chicago, Ill.)
- Gusto Gourmet (Houston, Texas)
- Jelana's Bake Shop (Hillsboro, Ore.)
- Kina's Kitchen and Bar (Sonoma, Calif.)
- Lakou Café (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
- Miss Mamie's Spoonbread Too (New York, N.Y.)
- Original Rio Cristal Restaurant (Miami, Fla.)
- Sky's Gourmet Tacos (Los Angeles, Calif.)
- Smoothie Express Miami Shores (Miami, Fla.)
- Star Fusion Express (Philadelphia, Pa.)
- Stuff'd Wings (Houston, Texas)
- Sweets by Belen (Houston, Texas)
- Tacotlan (Chicago, Ill.)
- The Missing Brick (Indianapolis, Ind.)
- The Nourish Spot (Queens, N.Y.)
- Tsion Café (New York, N.Y.)
- Underground Vegan (Birmingham, Ala.)
- Windy City Ribs & Whiskey (Chicago, Ill.)
- Yo Soy Ceviche (San Francisco, Calif.)
Providing Sustainability & Growth for Marginalized-owned Businesses
During its inception in 2020, Feed the Soul Foundation strived to create a non-profit program that would provide sustainability and growth in marginalized-owned businesses. In 2021, the foundation celebrated the following milestones:
- 25 US-based black-owned businesses received $250,000 in grants in addition to six months of business development support valued at $190,000
- Established a National Emergency Relief Fund to aid culinary businesses across the nation with $16,450 in emergency funds to assist with unforeseen and natural disasters
- $25,000 awarded in scholarships to minority hospitality students at Careers through Culinary Arts Program and University of Houston Conrad N. Hilton College of Global Hospitality Leadership
Apply for the 2023 Program
Feed the Soul Foundation will begin taking applications for the 2023 program in October. For more information about Feed the Soul Foundation, please visit FeedTheSoulFou.org.
Plan to Attend or Participate in
Bar & Restaurant Expo, March 27-29, 2023
To learn about the latest trends, issues and hot topics, and to experience and taste the best products within the bar, restaurant and hospitality industry, plan to attend Bar & Restaurant Expo, March 27-29, 2023 in Las Vegas. Visit BarandRestaurantExpo.com.
To book your sponsorship or exhibit space at Bar & Restaurant Expo, contact:
Veronica Gonnello
(for companies A to G)
e: [email protected]
p: 212-895-8244
Tim Schultz
(for companies H to Q)
e: [email protected]
p: (917) 258-8589
Fadi Alsayegh
(for companies R to Z)
e: [email protected]
p: 917-258-5174
Also, be sure to follow Bar & Restaurant on Facebook and Instagram for all the latest industry news and trends.