Black Restaurant Week NYC is celebrating its fifth year.
The annual campaign will offer special dining opportunities, menus, and discounts at Black-owned restaurants in the New York tri-state area. It’s an opportunity to try new spots, patronize neighborhood staples, explore the cuisines of the Black diaspora, and invest in Black-owned businesses.
Stella Artois and the Feed the Soul Foundation are sponsors of this year’s event. The latter, an extension of Black Restaurant Week, provides growth and sustainability resources to culinary Black-owned businesses.
Black Restaurant Week was founded by Warren Luckett in Houston in 2016. The company describes itself as “an experiential and creative marketing agency that creates awareness” of Black-owned businesses within their communities.
After NYC, this year’s campaign tour will enliven the summer with visits to Toronto, the DMV, Atlanta, and Los Angeles.
When is Black Restaurant Week NYC?
Reported dates are conflicting. A post on Black Restaurant Week’s Instagram account says that the NYC event runs from June 19 to July 2. Meanwhile, the company’s website claims the regional initiative will occur from June 16 to June 30 this year.
Regardless, both timeframes conveniently incorporate Juneteenth — aka Black Independence Day — which annually falls on June 19.
Which Places are Participating?
The over 100 participating restaurants reflect the representation and diversity of the Black diaspora’s cuisines in the NYC tri-state area. The establishments include soul food spots, Ethiopian eateries, Caribbean chophouses, and more. The types of places vary from fast casual and fine dining establishments to bakeries, cafes, and food trucks.
The initiative will include eateries in New York City, New Jersey townships, and the surrounding metro area. A few of the participants are Red Rooster Harlem (Manhattan), Carib Soul BK (Brooklyn), Cascade Jerk (Queens), and Bettie’s Restaurant (Jersey City).
