Food is culture. Food is love. Food is economy. Food is personal. Food is political.
Food is essential.
We are here to support the many Black-owned restaurants of Portland and the deliciousness they serve.
In the whitest major city in the US, with gentrification pushing out small businesses and with hate crimes targeting visibly black-owned restaurants on the rise: it is harder than ever to keep a small business afloat. We want to show love and support for our local, Black-owned eateries. The people who run them literally feed a village. They bring flavor to our lives and to our town. They feed multiple communities and our local economy.
How did this start?
In 2014, Bertha Pearl was inspired by the Bay Area’s Black Restaurant Day. She worked with other volunteers to start up a 1-day event that grew to a 2-day event. Thanks to the direction of William Travis (chef-owner of Dubs St. Johns), the event grew to a full week in 2017. By keeping this directory up, we hope folks will support these businesses all year long!
Frequently Asked Questions:
I know of a great business for this list. Does it qualify?
To make it on the list, the business should be:
- An eatery of some sort. This can be a restaurant, food cart, cafe, bar/lounge, food shop or catering service.
- Black-owned. The business needs to have at least one owner who is, as self-identified: Black. We support eateries of all nationalities and welcome the diversity that varied food heritages literally bring to the table.
- Located in the Portland Metro area of Oregon/SW Washington.
All good? Please send it our way!
How can I help promote this event?
Please share this website, share on social media, and post pics of your outings to eateries with #supportblackownedrestaurants .
