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Chicago Black Restaurant Week is back for its sixth year of spotlighting local Black-owned eateries through dining discounts. This year, for the first time ever, the annual event will extend from one week to two, stretching from Sunday, February 7 through Sunday, February 21.
"The decision to extend Chicago Black Restaurant Week an additional week this year was centered around the impact of the pandemic," says founder Lauran Smith. "Black businesses suffered tremendously as a result of having to bring regular operations to a halt."
The foodie affair was founded in 2015 by Smith, who recognized that Black-owned businesses "needed their own week of support, allowing everyone to get a chance to taste the goodness in the community." Smith has always timed the event to the second week of February, which was once known as "Negro History Week," an annual celebration of African-American achievements that was started by historian Carter G. Woodson in 1926. In the '70s, the weeklong event blossomed into something much bigger: Black History Month. Smith says that she likes to pay homage to Woodson's original legacy by aligning Chicago Black Restaurant Week with the second week of February.
Last year, Smith and her team were able to point Chicagoans to more than 30 Black-owned restaurants. For 2021, the list has expanded to include more than 100 eateries located in every corner of the city.
"These businesses are owned by Black men and women who depend on their restaurants' success to feed their families and to further fund the daily operations of the business that they run," Smith says. "I seek to help them recover the best way that I know how: Chicago Black Restaurant Week."
Take a look at the full list of participants below and start planning your lunches, dinners and sweet fixes around Chicago Black Restaurant Week now through February 21.
- 14 Parish
- 5 Loaves Eatery
- A. Ashley Designs
- Afro Joe's
- AmazCakes
- B&B Ice Cream and Candy
- The Bureau Bar & Restaurant
- Can't Believe It's Not Meat
- Chef Sara's Cafe
- CheSa's Gluten Free
- Chicago French Press
- Cody's Belly Bites
- Coffee Pops Shop
- Crave My Menu
- Crazy Crab Chicago
- Demera Ethiopian Restaurant
- Difference African Restaurant
- Dock's
- Donnie's Bar & Grill
- Dough Boys Chicago
- Dozzy's Grill
- Eddie's Food & Liquor
- Flammin Restaurant & Co.
- Flavours Seafood Bar
- Food Xpress Restaurant
- FruVe Express Juicery
- Garifuna Flava
- Georgia's Food Depot
- Good To Go Restaurant
- Haire's Gulf Shrimp
- Harold's Chicken of Homewood
- Harold's Chicken #88 Meets Beer (1450 S Michigan Ave)
- Harold's of South Holland
- Hidden Manna Cafe
- I-57 South Loop
- Imani's Original Bean Pies
- Iyanze Bar And Cafe
- Jamaican Gates Restaurant
- Josephine's
- Juiced by Shic
- Kozy Korner Catering & Deli
- Lemme Get Ummm
- Lexington Betty Smokehouse
- The Licking Chicago
- Litehouse Whole Food Grill
- Luella's Southern Kitchen
- Mae's Que House
- Mikkey's 47 Express
- Mikkey's Retro Grill
- Mikkey's on Stony
- The Mukase African Restaurant
- Muse Coffee Studio
- Nolie's Treats
- Phlavz Bar & Grille
- Pink Paninis Soups & Salads
- Plant Based Junkie Chicago
- Smallcakes Evergreen Park
- The Soul Shack
- Soulé
- South Shore Brew Coffee Shop
- Southern Twang
- Surf's Up Bronzeville
- Surf's Up Maywood
- Surf's Up Oak Park
- Surf's Up Old Town
- Surf's Up South Loop
- Surf's Up South Shore
- Taste 222
- Taylor's Tacos
- Two Fish Crab
- Urban Grill Chicago
- Whipped Desserts Inc.
- Windy City Ribs & Whiskey
- The Woodlawn
- The Wrap Bar
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