SEATTLE — Black Restaurant Week kicked off in the Pacific Northwest as Black History Month came to a close last week, and there's still time to celebrate your favorite Black-owned restaurants.
Black Restaurant Week kicked off in the region on Feb. 25 and will run through Sunday, March 6. The event is showcasing more than 40 restaurants in the greater Pacific Northwest.
Black Restaurant Week is an organization that celebrates African, African American and Caribbean cuisine. In 2021, 1,200 Black-owned culinary businesses across the U.S., as well as Toronto and Vancouver, were showcased, generating an average 15% sales increase, according to Black Restaurant Week.
In 2022, Black Restaurant Week launched the "More Than Just a Week" campaign to help Black-owned businesses outside of its week-long events.
“More Than Just a Week speaks to our commitment to support the Black-culinary community throughout the entire year,” said Falayn Ferrell, Black Restaurant Week's operations managing partner. “More than 90,000 restaurants and bars closed nationwide since 2020. It is essential that we create a platform that drives awareness to Black-owned culinary businesses outside of our culinary tour.”
One of the campaign's initiatives includes providing small business grants and development training from Black Restaurant Week's non-profit Feed the Soul Foundation.
Black Restaurant Week will continue throughout the country this summer and fall. For a list of participating restaurants, events and more information on Black Restaurant Week, visit blackrestaurantweeks.com.