Black-owned small businesses have been disproportionately hit by high inflation not long after recovering from COVID-19 related losses. I’m sure we can both agree that these restaurants play an influential role in Chicago’s food scene - beyond offering delicious food, America’s Black-owned food businesses also each paint a distinct picture of a multifaceted Black culture and cuisine, and so their survival is essential to the fabric of our country.

MORE INFO: https://www.heinz.com/blackkitchen/

To help keep these restaurants alive and thriving, the Heinz Black Kitchen Initiative just announced the 65 Black-owned food businesses selected to receive grants of either $25,000 or $15,000 this year.

For the second consecutive year, in partnership with The LEE Initiative and Southern Restaurants for Racial Justice, a coalition of industry leaders doing the work to benefit Black-owned restaurants and communities, Heinz donated over $1M to fund the grants.

The recently announced recipients feed communities throughout the country, and Chicago’s Garifuna Flava: A Taste of Belize made the list of grantees, along with Caribbean Grill in Champaign and Bumbu Roux in Skokie.

Launched in 2021, the Black Kitchen Initiative aims to celebrate and preserve the legacy of Black food by breaking down the barriers that keep Black voices and Black cooking on the margins of American culinary culture. This year’s grants follow a successful first year; in 2021, the LEE Initiative, SRRJ, and Heinz awarded over $1 million in grants to 72 businesses.

In addition to donating over $1M dollars, Heinz will: Celebrate recipients, their business ventures, and their stories on Heinz.com/blackkitchen Tap into its over 200,000 followers on social media across the @Heinz and @Heinz_US social platforms to spotlight the grant recipients.

Reward each grant recipient with a unique cast iron pan trophy to commemorate recipients’ selection and involvement with the Black Kitchen Initiative.

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