Over 100 of Atlanta’s Black-owned eateries could see a boost in foot traffic and new faces. The eighth annual Atlanta Black Restaurant Week is underway through Aug. 18.
At Nouveau Bar & Grill in College Park, steam rises from a plate of grits topped with peppers and grilled shrimp in a golden Cajun cream sauce.
Monica Thorpe, known on Instagram as “The Weekend Nomad,” says she’s normally picky about her grits. “I only eat my mama’s grits,” Thorpe says.
But she liked these. Thorpe is a food blogger. Growing up on the Southside, she says she only knew of a few Black-owned spots to eat at.
The Piccadilly restaurant chain, S&S Cafeterias and Mrs. Winners were the only Black spots she knew.
“You go to Piccadilly or S&S after church. That’s where everybody was at, and then you go home and get your sweet tea from Mrs. Winners and you call it a day,” Thorpe says.
The two-weeklong celebration of cuisine from the African diaspora offers events designed to attract hungry customers to minority-owned food businesses.
Atlanta’s Black population has shrunk over the years, but the city still has the highest percentage of Black-owned businesses in the country.
Founder and Morehouse College graduate Warren Luckett said the number of participating businesses is increasing.
“Atlanta’s just been the melting pot of Black culture, really, for the last 50 years,” said Luckett. The goal of his Feed the Soul Foundation is to provide affordable marketing to restaurants like the ones that kept him full during his undergraduate studies.
“Some of the most successful Black hospitality groups are located right here in Atlanta as well. And so Atlanta continues to lead from the front, and it’s just been an honor to be able to showcase what they have to offer for eight years,” Luckett said.
Fellow Morehouse grad Julian Boyd runs the family business — Memphis-based D’bo’s Daiquiris, Wings, and Seafood. The Decatur location is participating for the first time this year.
“I think important programs like Black Restaurant Week and even the nonprofit sector Feed the Soul have really shown us the importance of supporting minority-owned businesses, especially restaurants in the Black space,” Boyd said.
Ebony Austin owns Nouveau Bar & Grill in College Park.
“I grew up in Chicago, and we would always go to restaurant weeks, but Black-owned restaurants were never included in those weeks,” Austin said. “So now that we have the opportunity, we have the platform, and we have the advertisements that accompany it.”
“We’re here in College Park near the busiest airport in the world. And College Park has been so great to us in establishing our first restaurant,” said Jovan Dais, owner of Aye Tea Elle, a restaurant in South Atlanta.
“I salute all Black restaurant owners, all restaurant owners in general. But it’s tough, you know, it is a tough business. You have to be in it because you love it,” said Dais.
For a directory of participating eateries, visit the Black Restaurant Week website.
