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Tag: Black-Owned Businesses

  • A movement is trying to save The People’s Market in Charlotte. Can it be done?

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    A group dedicated to supporting Black-owned businesses in Charlotte is working on an attempt to save The People’s Market, which announced that its two locations were permanently closing.

    Within hours of the restaurant’s Thursday Instagram post, sharing that financial strains and other pressures made it impossible to keep the doors open at the all-day market and restaurant, CLT Black Owned put together a GoFundMe Campaign seeking $30,000 to help owner Cory Duran.

    “If this place has ever made you feel seen, inspired or simply at home, we ask you to give what you can. Together, we can keep this Charlotte treasure alive for generations to come,” the GoFundMe message read in part.

    Within two hours, the effort raised more than $5,500 from 150-some donors, with no signs of stopping.

    Messages from CharlotteFive left this week with The People’s Market via email and Instagram have not been returned.

    An eye-level, angled shot from the sidewalk of “The People’s Market @ Elizabeth” on a sunny day. The red brick storefront features large windows, glass-paneled garage doors, and weathered tan awnings. Several yellow metal tables and chairs are arranged on the sidewalk for outdoor seating.
    The People’s Market’s two locations have closed, but a new effort by CLT Black Owned is raising money in hopes the doors can reopen once again. Alex Cason CharlotteFive

    Charlotte’s history of generosity

    A campaign to save a restaurant via GoFundMe has worked at least once before in Charlotte.

    In 2020, word spread that Dan Ngyuen’s beloved Lang Van restaurant — now a Michelin Bib Gourmand — was in danger of closing amid the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. The original $30,000 goal for the GoFundMe, set up by a customer, was hit in less than 24 hours.

    And the donations kept pouring in. In all, more than $62,000 was raised.

    A straight-on, eye-level wide shot capturing the full facade of “The People’s Market” from across the street. The one-story, red brick building has three large, weathered tan awnings above two central, glass-paneled garage doors and side windows. Several yellow metal tables and folding chairs are set up on the concrete sidewalk for outdoor seating. On the far left, a man is walking past the building on a bright, sunny day.
    The People’s Market in Elizabeth. Alex Cason CharlotteFive

    In CLT Black Owned’s Instagram post read sharing the effort to raise funds for The People’s Market, the group explained the effort to get involved.

    “We’ve never done anything like this before, and it might be ‘out of our lane’ but sitting back and watching another one of our beloved businesses close just doesn’t sit right with us,” it read. “CLT Black Owned exists to support and increase the support for Black-owned businesses, but in the last few years, we’ve said goodbye to more than we can count,” the message continued.

    “And enough is enough. We gotta do everything we can to show and prove that our businesses deserve the support they need too. So let’s make it do what it do. Whatever you got, even if it’s $7.04, even if it’s $1, lets #SaveThePeoplesMarket ! @the.peoples.mkt.”

    A message for the group left by CharlotteFive has not yet been returned.

    An eye-level, medium shot of a smiling restaurateur wearing a denim jacket, glasses, and a backward baseball cap, standing behind the counter at a coffee shop. Behind, a large chalkboard menu displays various coffee and pastry items.
    Cory Duran, owner of The People’s Market. Heidi Finley CharlotteFive

    Location: 1609 Elizabeth Ave, Charlotte, NC 28204 (now closed)

    Location: Tranquil Court, 2810 Selwyn Ave, Charlotte, NC 28209 (now closed)

    Menu

    Instagram: @the.peoples.mkt

    Related Stories from Charlotte Observer

    Heidi Finley

    The Charlotte Observer

    Heidi Finley is a writer and editor for CharlotteFive and the Charlotte Observer. Outside of work, you will most likely find her in the suburbs driving kids around, volunteering and indulging in foodie pursuits.

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    Heidi Finley

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  • Find outstanding food at these 32 Black-owned restaurants in metro Phoenix

    Find outstanding food at these 32 Black-owned restaurants in metro Phoenix

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    There’s crispy catfish in uptown Phoenix, bites of Hoppin’ John that would transport you to the muggy outdoor cafe tables in the French Quarter, Ethiopian specialties, plates of pasta that will take you to Italy and a paleo menu that offers a taste of France. The Valley is lucky to have a wide variety of Black-owned restaurants and food businesses offering incredible food…

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    New Times Staff

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  • Caribbean-fusion brunch restaurant J’ouvert Caribbean Kitchen is open in Buckhead

    Caribbean-fusion brunch restaurant J’ouvert Caribbean Kitchen is open in Buckhead

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    J’ouvert Caribbean Kitchen (above) is bringing Caribbean flavor to Buckhead’s dining scene. Photo by Kerri Phox/The Atlanta Voice

    J’ouvert Caribbean Kitchen, the newest brunch concept from Belle and Lily’s Caribbean Brunch House owner Tasha Cyril, is now open in Buckhead at 558 Main St. NE. With the opening of her new restaurant, Cyril said she hopes to magnify the rich culture of the many islands in the Caribbean that people may not be as familiar with through food. 

    That hope shines through in the art, music and menu of the restaurant, essentially creating a love letter to Caribbean islands such as Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada and St. Lucia and the foodways of those islands.

    “​​Just think of a fusion of flavors from Africa mixed with flavors from India and China,” Cyril said. “There’s so much more than just the small parts of us that’s probably more magnified — which is not a bad thing — but that brings people to just learn some more about who we are and what we do.”

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    Laura Nwogu

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  • Black-owned businesses were hammered by the pandemic. How did this one grow? – WTOP News

    Black-owned businesses were hammered by the pandemic. How did this one grow? – WTOP News

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    The pandemic was crushing for many Black-owned businesses, but there are exceptions, including Ruby’s Southern Comfort Kitchen.

    Candi Dailey, owner of Ruby’s Southern Comfort Kitchen in Maryland.(WTOP/John Domen)

    Throughout February, WTOP is celebrating Black History Month. Join us on air and online as we bring you the stories, people and places that make up our diverse community.

    The pandemic was crushing for many Black-owned businesses around the country, and the years since 2020 have been especially hard on restaurants locally and nationwide — but there are exceptions.

    After starting as a takeout joint in what owner Candi Dailey calls “a hole in the wall” in Bowie, Maryland, her restaurant, Ruby’s Southern Comfort Kitchen, found itself moving to a much bigger spot where you can sit down and enjoy your food, rather than having to drive out of the way just to pick it up and take it home.

    “But I’d like to say that we’re still a takeout, right? There’s no waitstaff here,” Dailey pointed out. She started Ruby’s as a restaurant that operated with the catering company her family owns and operates.

    “What we noticed is that, at our old location, people wanted to sit down even though it was takeout. But we only had like four seats in there. But people always wanted to sit,” Dailey said.

    “And so we knew that when we moved we wanted people to be able to sit down if they wanted to. And so it still works in the same way. If you come in here at lunchtime, or in the evening, you’re going to see a crowd full of people that are just sitting down, enjoying one another’s fellowship and breaking bread,” she said.

    But getting to that location, which moved from an out of the way spot to a much bigger store front next to stores like Target and Lowes, just off Routes 301 and 50 in Bowie, meant taking a big risk, and making a much bigger monthly rent payment.

    “We believe that this is something that the community wanted, and that takeout didn’t have to be a hole in the wall. And so how do we bring that vision to life? Honestly, it took us like two years, a long time, and a lot of money and a lot of red tape to get this to be what we thought takeout could be,” she said.

    She’s not ready to say they’ve made it all the way through the pandemic yet.

    “The cost of building it out was a lot more than we expected, and just the challenges as a small, Black entrepreneur, trying to obtain financing, that has its own challenges,” she said.

    Dailey said that the restaurant business can be tumultuous and all they could do was hope that things would work out in the end.

    The one thing Dailey feels like they have is the support from the neighboring community. She saw it firsthand after people went out of their way to show her support in the years prior to and during the pandemic.

    “We want guests that feel like they’re family when they come in. Ruby was my grandmother. She kind of had this open door policy,” Dailey said.

    “My parents did the same thing. They’re going to take care of their neighbors. … And I think Ruby’s is just an extension of still opening the door, still welcoming the community and supporting where we can,” she added.

    Every year around Juneteenth, Ruby’s holds what it calls its “Family Reunion.” It’s really an event to say thanks to the customers who fill up on its Southern-style comfort food. Dailey said that last year about 18,000 people registered and attended.

    “The DMV area in general … it’s different here,” she said. “You feel like you can thrive here. You feel like you can do more here. The community is extremely supportive here.”

    Dailey admits that she doesn’t think they would get the same support and appreciation from the community anywhere else in the country.

    “But I think we have a really authentic connection with the community,” she said.

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    © 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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    John Domen

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  • Wallets Out! Four Black-Owned Products You Need In Your Cart This Black Friday

    Wallets Out! Four Black-Owned Products You Need In Your Cart This Black Friday

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    Get your CVV number right! This Black Friday TSR Shop has plenty of Black-owned brands to choose from.

    But if you need some help deciding what to add to your cart, you’ve come to the right place. Here is a list of four products you can check off your holiday shopping list.

    Black Friday Shopping For Game Lovers

    Give your family or crew something to do during the holiday gathering with Heard It All Before. Their hip hop samples card game has a deck of 270 cards divided into original, sample, bonus, and mystery cards.

    Players divide into teams, scan the QR codes for song access, and race against the clock to identify it. From 70s soul to hip hop bops, there’s a lil’ something for every generation in the deck.

    Set the vibes with this game for just $34.99.

    Black Friday Shopping For Your Bearded Bae

    Got a bae with a beard? Or maybe your brother, friend, or dad decided to partake in ‘No Shave November?’ Either way, My Beard Daddy on TSR Shop has you covered.

    For just $29.99, you can give the gift of moisturization! Beard Daddy’s fragrance-free Luxe Beard Oil blends organic natural oils, antioxidants, and vitamins to hydrate and maintain a conditioned and healthy-looking beard. It also helps to prevent dry, itchy skin.

    Feeling generous? Toss in a beard comb for an extra $19.99.

    Black Friday Shopping For The Kids

    Got a little one in your life who loves dolls? Then, Beautiful Curly Me has your back this gift-giving season.

    Their ‘Bella’ doll features a beautiful curly afro and deep brown skin. Best part? Your special kiddo can wash and style her hair to inspire hair love and care. Bella stands 18 inches tall and is made of smooth vinyl. The company describes her as “a young entrepreneur with big ideas.”

    In addition to the doll and her adorable outfit, the gift comes with a daily positive affirmations book! Get it for $79.99 here.

    Balling on a budget? Find other Beautiful Curly Me goodies, such as a puzzle or coloring book, here.

     Shopping With A Lil’ Representation

    This clothing brand is as straightforward as it gets! Their name is Black Santa, and as you probably already guessed, this business adds representation to the holiday mix.

    From hoodies to t-shirts and socks, their collections often feature a deep brown Santa Claus head as the logo.

    But, this Black Friday, get the gift that’ll give every holiday: a three-piece ornament set. This set features three glass balls in colors red, silver, and green. Each ball has a shiny finish and the standard Black Santa logo.

    Cash out on the set for just $8.99 here! Need some representation in your gift wrapping paper? Black Santa has you covered for $4.99 per roll.

    Want more Black Santa? See their collection on TSR Shop here.

    Happy Black Friday Shopping Roomies! 

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    Cassandra S

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  • Saucy Santana x thread beauty: Inside the Iconic Ambassadorship

    Saucy Santana x thread beauty: Inside the Iconic Ambassadorship

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    The latest venture of Melissa Butler, founder of the Lip Bar, is thread beauty, a brand created with inclusion and representation at the forefront. Described as a “Beauty Brand Created For Humans Of Color Who Are Expressive & Unapologetic In Their Being,” thread beauty is a Black Owned Brand championing gender diversity and unbridled self-expression — we love to see it!

    So it makes total sense that their first-ever celebrity ambassador is none other than Celebrity makeup artist and queer music icon, Saucy Santana.

    As their first-ever Celebrity Beauty Ambassadorship, Saucy Santana is working with thread beauty to continue to push the envelope and push boundaries of representation in the mainstream makeup market.

    For thread beauty, this partnership also emphasizes the brand’s commitment as an ally to the LGBTQIA+ community. While some brands only show up for queer communities during pride, thread beauty currently donates 15% of every purchase on their brand site to LGBTQIA+ allyship organizations year-round.

    SaucySantana is in full support of thread beauty’s ongoing #takepride campaign, which has been active since June of 2022 and donates to LGBTQIA+ causes, including the LGBTQ FreedomFund, Black AIDS Institute, The Trevor Project and Joshua Home: An LGBTQ Safe Haven.

    “It’s one thing to be the first celebrity face of thread beauty, but to also be the first celebrity face as a black, feminine, gay man will mean so much to my community – especially for boys like me!” said Saucy Santana in a press release. “Within the community, boys that are considered bigger, dark skin, plus-size & feminine don’t get a lot of opportunities. So it means a lot to me and speaks volumes to who thread beauty is as a brand, that they chose me for this opportunity to show up for my community and make us more visible! And I love that!”

    saucy santana x thread beautyvia thread beauty

    Popdust got the opportunity to go behind the scenes of this partnership and ask the icon himself a couple of questions. Here is the inside scoop:

    How does this partnership connect with your personal brand?

    Considering that before I was rapping, I was a Celebrity Makeup Artist, this partnership with thread beauty feels like it is bringing me back to my roots. It’s a full circle moment to collaborate with a makeup company that’s excited about me, and I’m excited about their brand. With me being part of the LGBTIA+ community and thread beauty being both an ally and a Black-owned, female-based beauty brand, this partnership just made sense, as I make a lot of my music for Black females.

    Also, when I first started doing makeup, even on YouTube, there wasn’t anyone that looked like me, that I could reference and learn from. Everything was self-taught, so it’s important to me to be an example for the beauty boys and everyone that loves beauty. Today, I have a lot of these supporters that look like me, for example, boys that have facial hair, a fade, and have full glam. This partnership can inspire them and represent what’s possible. Like I’m out here living my best life and here’s an example of how you can do it too!

    What are you most excited about with this partnership?

    I’m excited to be partnering with thread beauty because it is a Black-owned, female-founded brand that’s relatable and affordable. I think it’s a great thing that thread caters to a wider range of deeper, melanin tones, and everything is $8. I know so many pretty, dark chocolate people that used to have to spend $38-$42 to get a really good shade at a department store. The fact that thread beauty offers 26 shades at Target, and everything is $8 is groundbreaking. It allows the brown girls, boys, and thems, to be pretty at an affordable price.

    thread beauty was created specifically for Gen-Z people of color, so it’s fun to partner with a makeup company who is excited about me and my supporters, and I’m excited about them!

    “Prior to launching thread beauty, we weren’t seeing diversity in the beauty space, especially when it comes to men in makeup. thread was very proud to be the first brand to put a man-in-makeup on our main header displays in Target. I know first-hand that representation matters,” says thread beauty CEO & Founder, Melissa Butler.

    “If there’s a little boy out there that wears makeup or wants to wear lip gloss but doesn’t see that in the retail spaces,

    then there’s room for shame or the need to seek validation,” she shared to announce the partnership. “I truly believe that without representation, you are left seeking validation, and thread beauty shows up to validate the niches that were not being previously validated – especially in the color cosmetics space. Who better to be the face of a beauty brand championing unapologetic self-expression and genuine authenticity than ‘the’ Saucy Santana? We are overwhelmed & overjoyed that we get to embark on this first partnership with him.”

    You can shop thread beauty online and at Target stores nationwide. Make sure to bump your favorite Saucy Santana song while you do.

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    LKC

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  • Campaign for Safe Cosmetics Publishes First-Ever List of Top Non-Toxic Black-Owned Beauty Brands & Product Database

    Campaign for Safe Cosmetics Publishes First-Ever List of Top Non-Toxic Black-Owned Beauty Brands & Product Database

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    Press Release
    –

    Oct 18, 2022 06:00 EDT


    SAN FRANCISCO, October 18, 2022 (Newswire.com)
    –
    The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics (CSC)’s new List of Top Non-Toxic Black-Owned Beauty Brands features entrepreneurs making safer beauty products for Black women, free of the toxic ingredients linked to breast cancer and health concerns that disproportionately impact Black women. This project brings health equity to the forefront by providing a database of clean beauty products to help Black women and girls live their healthiest lives and prevent breast cancer. CSC’s Top Non-Toxic Black Beauty Brands 2022 >  CSC’s Non-Toxic Black Beauty Product Database >  

    Released during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Non-Toxic Black Beauty Project focuses specifically on supporting Black women’s health because Black women face the highest breast cancer mortality rate of any racial or ethnic group in America. Beauty products marketed to Black women often contain the most toxic cosmetics ingredients, including chemicals linked to cancer. In fact, Black women who regularly dye their hair have a 60% increased risk of breast cancer, and those who use chemical hair straighteners are 30% more likely to develop the disease. By uplifting leading non-toxic Black-owned beauty brands and connecting Black women with products they can trust, CSC aims to combat toxic health disparities to help prevent breast cancer and other diseases. 

    The 80 small and medium-sized businesses who made the list raise the bar for ingredient safety and lead the movement to address the injustice of Black beauty by selling products free of CSC’s 241 “Do Not Use” Red List Chemicals of Concern in Cosmetics. CSC vetted all 700+ products included in the first-ever searchable database for safety and verified them to be free of harmful chemicals linked to health concerns like cancer, diabetes, early puberty, endometriosis, infertility, maternal health, pregnancy complications, and uterine fibroids. 

    “We are thrilled to announce the launch of our searchable database of non-toxic Black beauty products,” said Janet Nudelman, Director of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, a program of Breast Cancer Prevention Partners. “These leading Black entrepreneurs are making safer beauty products that won’t harm the health of Black women and girls. We hope that more companies will follow their lead and grow the clean Black beauty industry by selling non-toxic beauty and personal care products that Black women can trust.” 

    As Black women purchase and use more beauty products per capita than any other demographic, spending more than $7.5 billion dollars on beauty products a year and nine times more on hair products than the average consumer, toxic exposure from beauty products is of particular concern. 

    By eliminating toxic ingredients that negatively impact Black women, these companies have made a significant commitment to protecting their customers’ health and well-being. They are also helping to reduce the disproportionate toxic burden that Black women face from unsafe chemicals in beauty and other consumer products they use, which can help prevent the development of chronic diseases like breast and ovarian cancer. 

    The Non-Toxic Black Beauty Project is guided by an Advisory Committee made up of leading non-profit organizations and scientists working to improve Black women’s health. This project represents the first comprehensive effort to generate a list of chemicals of concern in Black beauty products that should be avoided by consumers, cosmetic manufacturers, and retailers. 

    For a list of scientific findings referenced in this release, visit: www.safecosmetics.org/black-beauty-project/. 

    Source: The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics

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  • Black Entrepreneur Creates Trafek.com – an Online Marketplace Designed to Recirculate $1 Trillion Dollars Back in to Black Communities

    Black Entrepreneur Creates Trafek.com – an Online Marketplace Designed to Recirculate $1 Trillion Dollars Back in to Black Communities

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    Press Release
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    Oct 19, 2016


    Washington, DC, October 19, 2016 (Newswire.com)
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    “I built Trafek.com for numerous reasons, one of which was that I felt like I had to do something, personally, for black communities, not just mine but all. This is my way of giving back and stepping up. Not everyone can attend protests and speeches and that isn’t everyone’s calling. This is mine. I just want to fulfill my role, as a black man in society, a man my parents raised. Everyone can help, one way to do that is to buy black. Support black businesses and help to strengthen our economic standpoint.” — Fabian Scott, President www.trafek.com

    Unity is strength

    Financial trends boast the tremendous purchasing power of the black community and as yet, these finances have been under-utilized, in our own populace. Do we lack the financial acumen, knowledge or commitment to do what is necessary for the black community to excel. The team at Trafek.com do not believe this is the case.

    Despite having an abundance of both professional and successful people among us, whether that includes athletic professionals, college graduates, business owners or entrepreneurs, those numbers are not enhancing our communities in the competitive global economy in which our neighborhoods benefit. We are not oblivious to the collective contributions to the harsh existence of some of our surroundings. Blacks are said to spend not only dispensable cash to the benefit of other thriving areas but also essential income, therefore increasing the riches of every community other than our own.

    Trafek.com intend to circulate such buying and selling power at a higher rate, amongst the community, thereby reversing the bottleneck effect.

    “Let us get up from the foot of our 400-year-old enemy and stop being beggars and start thinking of ourselves as builders!” — Minister Louis Farrakhan

    Research has proven that the black purchasing power can reach and exceed $1.1 trillion. This number may be astonishing, what is more astounding, however, is that these dollars are not circulated within the black community long enough to make any impact. This purchasing power is tremendous and can be harnessed to alleviate the condition of neighborhoods in need and the people that inhabit these communities, as a result.

    It has also been researched that the trillions of dollars from our spending last approximately 6 hours in the community before finding its way outside of our economy and into other financially driven enterprises where it lasts from 7 to 28 days.

    This cannot be life.

    “What can we do? We can put our hard earned money back into the black populace. We can and must invest in financial literacy; for ourselves and our children, parents and grandparents. This is a crucial piece, as the more we engage our families and ourselves in investing our earnings and savings in black businesses; our economic growth will be insurmountable. The effect of this will empower and strengthen our voice in society.” — Fabian Scott

    Patronizing black-owned establishments, the likes of which will be featured here on www.trafek.com, is a great way to begin keeping our hard-earned money in circulation, one easy click at a time. Local entrepreneurs deserve to be supported. Patronizing community-owned establishments is another great way to to keep local dollars, local.

    “Who you give your money to, is who you give your power to.” — Frederick Douglass

    Trafek is a black-owned marketplace for black-owned businesses and entrepreneurs. At Trafek, visitors are at liberty to decide how and when they choose to participate in a marketplace rife with opportunity. This platform can be utilized to sell products, showcase hand-made articles and purchase items. Trafek.com is well-designed and user-friendly, organized for everyone; not just the millennial but also the grandparents of our communities and their parents. At Trafek.com, people will be able to locate every day items with ease and even the eclectic pieces the likes of which are found in niche bargain outlets and major department stores.

    Trafek.com, is a one of a kind brand and are committed to offering quality products and customer service to visitors and patrons. Trafek is a family of people, not necessarily bonded by lineage but by common goals: to uplift our community one click at a time. So, feel at home when you visit, enter as a friend and when exiting, do so as family, as we hope to welcome your time here often.

    Customer service at Trafek, is our most focused attribute. Of course we value every purchase, however, we are the springboard for our sellers and we are a quality driven website: customer satisfaction is our most valued commodity.

    Trafek is always open to new people and great talent, if you are interested in becoming a vendor please use our sign-up options and in just a few clicks, you could be ready to showcase and start earning from your very own business, today!

    SITE LAUNCH NOVEMBER 1, 2016

    Source: Trafek

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