Black Restaurant Week kicks off Aug. 5 in Atlanta

August is National Black Business month, so it’s the perfect time for Black Restaurant Week in Atlanta.

Before we dive into the details, let’s talk about exactly what Black Restaurant Week (BRW) is. The week, created by Warren Luckett, Falayn Ferrell and Derek Robinson in 2016, was designed to celebrate “the flavors of African American, African and Caribbean cuisine nationwide. Through a series of events and promotional campaigns, Black Restaurant Week’s culinary initiatives help introduce culinary businesses and culinary professionals to the community.”

BRW highlights a number of different facets of the culinary business – including food trucks, catering services and even culinary products. This helps introduce Black businesses to people who may not be aware of them and gives the opportunity for their regular patrons to enjoy all they have to offer. On top of that, BRW helps to boost the local economy. In short, the week uses a series of events to help bring culinary professionals and the community together.

“I really didn’t realize how big of an idea we were building and how we were really on to something special,” said Ferrell.

And as their slogan says, it’s “more than just a week.” Black Restaurant Week also has a foundation. “We realized that the restaurants needed more support,” said Ferrell. “So the foundation really steps up where Black Restaurant Week ends. We provide grants. We’ve provided $500,000 in grants in the past two years to different businesses across the nation. We’ve also provided $20,000 in emergency support, from break-ins to flooding to anything you can think of. We also have an internship program.… but it’s really here to let the restaurants know that they’re not in it alone.”

Black Restaurant Week takes place in several different cities nationwide, including New York, Houston and Baltimore. Atlanta’s BRW kicks off Aug. 5 with a Welcome to Atlanta Kickoff event at Twisted Soul Cookhouse & Pours, and several events throughout the week before it concludes with the Finale Sunday Brunch at Apt 4b on Aug. 14. You can check out all of the events for Atlanta’s BRW on their website, blackrestaurantweeks.com.