Dining News
Restaurant event spotlighting Black-owned eateries makes Dallas debut
An exciting restaurant event is coming to Dallas: Called Black Restaurant Week, it's a culinary and cultural campaign celebrating the flavors of African American, African, and Caribbean cuisine.
This 10-day showcase in Dallas will spotlight nearly a dozen Black-owned restaurants in Dallas. According to a release, it'll take place from March 12-March 21.
Dallas restaurants confirmed include:
- Vinettis
- South Dallas Café
- Harris House of Heroes
- Burger IM
- Pangea
- Wings World
- Turkey Dam
- Ten 01 Bistro
The idea is to eat at these restaurants during the March 12-21 window. More are likely to be added.
Some are offering dine-in menus, but with COVID-19 still lingering, the emphasis this year is takeout and delivery.
Black Restaurant Week was founded in 2015 to support Black-owned businesses and talent within the food and beverage industry. Founder Warren Luckett, and co-founders Falayn Ferrell and Derek Robinson, began in Houston and have since expanded internationally, involving more than 670 minority businesses and professionals nationwide, in cities such as Los Angeles, Oakland, Chicago, and Atlanta.
It recently stopped in Dallas in 2018 and 2019.
For 2021, the campaign is putting an emphasis on reviving and saving the Black restaurant industry during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their effort to support as many businesses as possible, from restaurants to food trucks to bakeries. Their goal is also to spotlight the abundance of cultural cuisines in local communities, and dispel ethnic untruths.
As the release notes, Black-owned restaurants have suffered disproportionately from COVID-19, with 41 percent of Black-owned businesses shuttering since February compared to 17 percent of white-owned businesses, according to a 2020 study by the University of California, Santa Cruz.
Since many businesses do not have a budget to promote their business, Black Restaurant Week works to shine a light on minority businesses and aid them in building community awareness. Their website blackrestaurantweeks.com serves as a national database and registry for Black-owned culinary businesses.
Given the financial uncertainty and escalation of racial injustice incidents, the 2021 Dallas edition of Black Restaurant Week has waived fees for all restaurants.
