
Amber Thomas, who was an intern at Chick-Fil-A just five years ago, is now the owner of her very own Chick-Fil-A restaurant franchise in her hometown of Spring Valley, California, a suburb of San Diego.
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Nicholas Perkins, a graduate of both Howard University and Fayetteville State University, has made history as the new owner of the international Fuddruckers restaurant brand. He was formerly one of the company's largest franchisees, but now has full ownership of all 92 of the company's restaurants in the United States, Canada, Panama, and Mexico.
Meet A'Ron Burns, a 17-year-old high school student and entrepreneur from Omaha, Nebraska who has launched his own brick-and-mortar ice cream shop called Roll-N-Sweetz. He makes history as one of the youngest restaurant entrepreneurs in the state of Nebraska.
Robyn Wallace, a graduate of North Carolina A&T State University, and her husband, Zak, are the owners of the Local Green food truck at Disney World, the first-ever Black-owned food truck to operate at the popular theme park in Orlando, Florida.
Walmart has controversially launched a brand of Juneteenth ice cream, but social media is encouraging shoppers to support Chef Liz Rogers, the Founder, President, and Executive Chef of Creamalicious, one of the only Black-owned national ice cream brands in mass production. She prides herself on being truly innovative with her whimsical 2-in-1 desserts that pair freshly baked pastries with homemade ice creams made with only the freshest ingredients.
Robert Thomas opened the first Black-owned grocery store in Houston, Texas called District Market Green Grocer. It was previously a nightclub that he owned in the same location. Thomas now aims to open more Black-owned grocery stores across the country in hopes of ending food deserts.
Sheldon Lloyd, founder and CEO of City Fresh Foods, a Roxbury, Massachusetts-based Black-owned food service business, has landed a deal with Boston Public Schools to provide food to its thousands of students. The $17 million contract is reportedly the largest non-construction contract the city has awarded to a Black-owned business.
Meet Damola Adamolekun, the CEO of P.F. Chang's China Bistro, a popular Asian casual-dining restaurant chain based in the U.S. Since 2020, he has been leading the company to ensure its continued growth and success.
Meet Emily Avonya Jefferson who had a severe reaction to a medication that almost took her life when she was 16. She was hospitalized for several days due to this reaction. Her road to recovery was long, in which she had to go through physical therapy to help her walk again as well as speech therapy. Today, she is the 23-year-old owner of Avonya’s Blends, a Black-owned brand of unique seasonings that are all-natural, low-sodium, and contain no artificial preservatives or anti-caking agents.
Meet Chef Bink and his two sons, the founders of Bink's Grill, a newly opened Black-owned restaurant located in Detroit, Michigan. One of their most notable specialties is their soulful "world-class egg rolls" which have been a huge hit both nationally and internationally in the world of cuisine.
It has only been just 3 years since twin brothers David and Aaron Cabello launched Black and Mobile, the first Black-owned delivery service, and they have already expanded to 4 more cities and they plan to add more.
Meet Toni Gilliard, founder and CEO of Tipsy Lady, a Black-owned premium Caribbean-inspired canned cocktail company that is making an impressive debut in the online direct-to-consumer retail channel. Following its recent partnership with a small distributor, the Charleston, South Carolina-based brand has launched its online store, and plans to expand its placements into other cities are already in the works. Currently, Tipsy Lady is available in retail markets in CA, FL, NY, and NJ and online in over 30 states.
Elisabeth Omilami is the CEO of an Atlanta-based food bank in Atlanta called Hosea Helps. Her father, a civil rights leader named Hosea Williams, started it in 1971, and today it's the largest Black-owned food ban in the southeast part of the U.S.
Meet Darryl Lelie and his family, the owners of Seafood Kingz 2 on City Island in Bronx, New York, making it the first Black-owned restaurant in the area.
Elizabeth Abunaw, founder and CEO of Forty Acres Fresh Market, a Black-owned startup grocer that offers fresh and healthy food options on Chicago's West Side, has been awarded $2.5 million in grant funding from the city. She plans to use the funds to transition her pop-up store to a brick-and-mortar store.
Meet Duane “Myko” Cheers and Danita Claytor, the co-founders of Everything Legendary, a Black-owned plant-based food brand with legendary flavor, that have just closed $6 million dollars in Series A funding. The round was led by CircleUp Growth Partners with additional investments from the venture capital arm of General Mills, 301 INC, and Mark Cuban. Also, International Entrepreneur and Record Executive, Russell Simmons joined the all-star team as a Senior Advisor.
Meet Shaunese Alexander and her four children — Destiny, Trinity, Serenity, and Joshua — the founders of Popcorn Munchies, one of the fastest-growing Black-owned gourmet popcorn brands in the country. Their Maryland-based company's most popular specialty is their caramelized pecan flavor.
Ron Jordan, the CEO and founder of Jordan Hospitality Group, has acquired all 21 Donatos restaurants in the Indianapolis market, making him the largest Black-owned franchise partner for the Columbus, Ohio-based company in its 59-year history.