Beyonce’s Foundation, BeyGOOD, donated a little more than $10,000 to a Nigerian restaurant in London that has been struggling to keep its doors open.
Co-owners Emeka and Ifeyinwa Frederick opened Chuku’s, or as they call it the world’s first Nigerian tapas restaurant, in early 2020. However, similar to many small businesses, they have struggled due to the pandemic and its challenges. The owners say receiving a $10,000 check from Beyonce’s foundation is just the boost they need in what they describe as a challenging time for the restaurant industry.
How It Happened
As Queen Bey kicked off the London portion in her highly-anticipated world tour, the superstar’s foundation hosted a luncheon for Black businesses in London on May 29.
“The whole thing was so surreal,” Ifeyinwa said in an Instagram post. “I had to message Emeka as soon as it happened. We were both in shock.”
More than 500 Black-owned founders applied for a spot at the luncheon, but only 100 were selected to attend.
“We felt blessed simply to have been selected,” Ifeyinwa added.
But, what she didn’t know that at the time was ten businesses would be selected for a grant. She could barely keep from falling over when the restaurant was called.
“The only thing that could have made the moment better is if I could have shared it with him [Emeka] in person,” Ifeyinwa said. “I called him as soon as I could, and we gave thanks on the phone together. For only both of us really knows the impact the grant has on the business.”
Ifeyinwa says the restaurant is on a steadier path following the co-owners “Six Week Charge Campaign,” but they’re not exactly out of the hole as the industry is uncertain.
“It’s still really though times for restaurants and nothing is guaranteed,” she says. “A win like this makes such a difference to us.”