Black Restaurant Week puts spotlight on Black-owned eateries
DALLAS - More than half of all restaurants experienced lower profits last year while facing rising costs to keep business going.
Since last Friday and continuing through March 24 is what's called Black Restaurant Week.
Long lines at Smokey John's Bar-B-Que & Home Cooking. But for the food and beverage industry, the margins are tight.
"Every restaurant is probably having challenges, but particularly minority-owned restaurants," said Smokey John’s Bar-B-Que co-owner Juan Reaves.
They are facing challenges like getting people back after COVID to increasing inflation that’s shrinking the bottom line.
"It's tough. There's so many things that are impacted we don't think of traditionally. We think about the weather and what's happening with crops, that sort of thing. But, right now, it's manufacturing, it's labor. There are so many factors that come into play," Reaves said. "It's been a difficult situation because the worst thing you can do as a restaurant owner is raise prices. You hate doing it. But at the same time, we owe a responsibility to take care of our team members that work with us and to be responsible business owners."
The platform is Black Restaurant Week, a Houston-based business and non-profit that markets Black-owned restaurants through its website, digital ad campaigns and corporate partners at no cost to registered restaurants.
"It's very hard for small businesses to set aside dollars for marketing," said Falayn Ferrell with Black Restaurant Week. "And so Black Restaurant Week is essentially helping fill the gap creating awareness of these businesses in their local communities."
The awareness can bring new customers to a new food experience.
"There's some great options for you to work into your systems so that people can have that they don't have to go to the same places all the time," Reaves said. "There are some really great options out there that happen to be owned by minorities."