Black Restaurant Week is back and better than ever. Its fifth installment in New York City kicks off on Juneteenth.
In traditional fashion, Black Restaurant Week hopes to shed new light on emerging and renowned Black-owned businesses for food-lovers to patron. For guests to get the best offerings of these diverse food spots, the restaurants offer affordable menu options, often multi-coursed.
Across the NYC and tri-state area, customers can indulge various types of eateries, including cafes, food trucks, and bakeries. The event seeks to promote the “diverse tastes” of food across the Black diaspora. Whether African, Black American, or Caribbean food is one’s favorite, the week-long event hopes to appeal to all appetites.
According to TimeOut, Black Restaurant Week originally got its start in Houston. Since its establishment in 2016, it has blossomed into an international festival to celebrate Black culinary achievement. This year, world-renowned restaurants such as Red Rooster in Harlem and Negril Village will offer a tasty assortment of their prized dishes to New York-based attendees.
Furthermore, engaging in Black Restaurant Week is more important than ever in a post-pandemic society. It provides free promotion to Black restaurateurs who may lack the necessary funds for a lucrative marketing campaign. The event’s founder, Warren Luckett, shared how this communal support aids in the longevity of these Black-owned gems.
“COVID-19 changed the landscape since 2020. Now, the price of food is soaring. From being overlooked for revitalization funds to inflation, most Black-owned culinary businesses cannot afford advertisements / PR / marketing to build awareness and attract consumers,” explained Luckett. “That’s why we proudly do this for free—it’s peer-to-peer support for 10 or 14 days (depending on the market) within each market and for the past nine years.”
This year’s event takes place from June 19 to June 30 in NYC, with over 80 restaurants participating. Black Restaurant Week hosts all information to planning one’s ultimate food tour on its website.
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