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How to buy from Black owned restaurants & food businesses everyday. Created by Mercedes Gosby
Blog June 15, 2020

Black Food: Ultimate Guide to Black Foodways

Last updated on December 23rd, 2023 at 11:18 pm

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Black food consists of many people and many things. In this article, I explain my definition and give you a step-by-step guide on how to support Black foodways.

What is Black food?

There isn’t one definition. Some people describe it as American food. Others describe it as soul food. That’s true, but it’s more than that.

I think of Black food as the exploration and celebration of the contributions to the global culinary industry from Black people worldwide.

For me, it encompasses food justice, farming, health equity, art, tech, sustainability and more. Top of mind for me is Dr. Jessica B. Harris, culinary historian, journalist and The New York Times Best Selling author of High on the Hog.

I also think of innovators like Riana Lynn, CEO & Founder of Journey Foods, a food tech company making the process for developing and marketing food easier and more efficient.

A curated guide

There are many Black chefs, entrepreneurs, journalists, farmers, academics, influencers and more who spearhead evolution in the culinary space. If you want a quick introduction then start with:

The ultimate guide

In 2020, I wrote this guide in response to the increase in attention and sales for Black owned restaurants, bakeries, and packaged goods after the murder of George Floyd. My hope was that supporting Black owned businesses would move beyond a trend and become a lifestyle.

In 2023, I’ve updated this guide to include the breadth and depth of Black food.

The following guide will showcase Black people in food and will show you how to support them on a regular basis and using your current budget. 

📝 Steps to find and support Black people in the culinary space

  1. Look at your current food / takeout budget
  2. Choose one food/beverage item or bakery/restaurant
  3. Search for a Black owned replacement
  4. Purchase from a Black owned business

Step 1: Look at your current food / takeout budget.

Gather your receipts, look at your credit/debit card statements.

Step 2: Choose one food or beverage item or a bakery/restaurant

It will be easier to start with something that you’ve bought before, especially if it’s a staple item (e.g. popcorn, coffee, granola, donuts). What’s something that you buy often?

Use this worksheet to stay organized. To make a copy, go to the menu at the top, click ‘File’, then click ‘Make a copy’.

Support Black owned restaurants & food businesses every day using this Google Sheet created by Mercedes Gosby

Step 3: Search for ‘Black owned restaurants near me’

Based on the item you chose, search for a Black owned restaurant or culinary business that sells the item you need. Below are lists of tools and strategies that will help make your research easy and quick.

Lists of Black owned restaurants & businesses in major cities

Apps (find ‘Black owned restaurants near me’)

Directories

Marketplaces (Digital)

Marketplaces (Physical)

Food festivals

Search Instagram using hashtags such as: 

Use search engines (i.e. DuckDuckGo, Google, Bing) with keywords such as:

  • black chefs
  • black owned businesses
  • black owned business directory
  • black owned restaurants
  • find black owned restaurants near me

Need your food delivered? Try these Black owned food delivery services:

Black owned subscription boxes (includes food & drinks) that can be shipped or available for pickup:

Step 4: Purchase from a Black owned restaurant / food business

After you’ve made your purchase(s), leave a review and spread the word about the business (e.g. post on social media, tell your friends and colleagues). When sharing on social media, tag the business so they can re-share your content. Great social media marketing often leads to more sales for small businesses.

And don’t forget to fill in your worksheet so you can keep track of the Black-owned foods you’re buying.

Food from Black owned restaurants

Now, repeat the steps!

Go back to your food/take out budget and start the process again 🙌🏿

📚 Additional Tips & Resources

Here are a few strategies & resources that will support you on your journey of buying Black owned food products and services on a regular basis:

  • Pick the same day(s) every week or month to shop at a Black owned restaurant.  
  • Turn special occasions (e.g. birthday, graduation, Mother’s Day) and regular events (e.g. date night, business meeting, hanging out with friends) into an opportunity to buy food from a Black owned restaurant.
  • When you travel, commit to buying at least one Black owned food product or service (such as a cooking class), so that you are supporting entrepreneurs all over the world, like Fred Corder of Maryland ChickAn, or Kyle Sexton of Kyle’s Good Finds in Tokyo, Japan. 

Try these hashtags to find Black bloggers/influencers/content creators:

Services

Accounts that spotlight Black people in food & beverage

Media & news outlets focused on Black people in food, beverage & hospitality

Black media outlets that publish culinary-related content

Special shoutout to this list of Black women food podcasters (many of us interview Black chefs and owners of Black owned food & beverage businesses around the world) co-written by Ariel D. Smith (@thefoodtruckscholar), and myself (@profoodmaker):

Consider this guide as a living document and your feedback & suggestions (especially products & services available outside of the US) are welcomed. Leave a comment or email Mercedes Gosby: ✉️ hey [at] profoodmaker [dot] com.

If you share this guide, use the hashtag #profoodmakerpodcast, and tag @profoodmaker on Instagram, @profoodmakerpod on Twitter, and mention Mercedes Gosby on LinkedIn.

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