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NBCC funds over 50 black-owned bars & restaurants

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Good To Go, Jamaican and American Cuisine, purchased Igloos with the grant in order to offer heated outdoor dining. (298816)
Good To Go, Jamaican and American Cuisine, purchased Igloos with the grant in order to offer heated outdoor dining.

The National Black Chamber of Commerce (NBCC) and Humble Ventures recently launched a program to award black-owned bars and restaurants grants during the COVID-10 pandemic. After careful review, over 50 black businesses were funded. NBCC is now planning what to do next with the knowledge gained from the program.

Why

In June 2020, NBCC expressed interest in partnering to help as many black & brown-owned businesses as they can during the pandemic. Analysis from the National Bureau of Economic Research reveals 41% of Black business owners disappeared in April. With further analysis according to a report by Restaurant Business Online, only 130 Black-owned restaurants received PPP loans over $150,000. The data highlights the systemic neglect of minority business owners and the dire situation many are facing alone. We agreed to support black-owned restaurants as one immediate way to stand in solidarity with the Black community.

Local Green Atlanta received a NBCC / humble ventures grant. (298818)

How

Humble Ventures facilitated a 1-hour design thinking workshop with NBCC to ideate and brainstorm the components of what this approach could look like. The workshop’s purpose was to help us define the current state regarding the bar & restaurant landscape, which segments to target, activities that can drive results, and what a vision for the future looks like in a partnership. The result was financial relief assistance to Black-owned bars & restaurants — awarding $150,000, in total, through a program/application process.

What

We developed a portal for submissions with selection criteria and an overall engagement strategy utilizing existing relationships and new networks across the country. We audited our existing assets, businesses, specific regions, and developed a content strategy to deliver consistent content, messaging, and experience across channels. NBCC and humble launched the campaign, August 18th. We promoted and concluded the campaign by the end of the month. In early September, we reviewed submissions and conducted two levels of review and approval by mid-September. The final selection of businesses was completed in October, alongside the identification of compelling SMB case study candidates. Grants between $2,000-$5,000 have been awarded to grantees.

Results And Insights

States with the highest participation came from: Louisiana, Illinois, Alabama, Florida, Virginia, New Jersey, Texas, Tennessee

Operating Expenses Were Highest Need For Support

Use Of Funds Example: Good To Go, Jamaican and American Cuisine, purchased Igloos with the grant in order to offer heated outdoor dining.

Select Grant Recipients

Name: Ben’s Chili Bowl and Ben’s Next Door

Location: Washington, DC

About: Since Ben and Virginia Ali first opened the doors in 1958, Ben’s Chili Bowl has been a community pillar.

Name: CupCakin Bakeshop

Location: Berkeley, California

About: Cupcakin’ Bake Shop is the realized vision of owner Lila Owens. She started a home-based cupcake catering business in 2007. As an advocate for sustainability and the natural and local food movement, Lila found Berkeley to be the perfect place to set up shop.

Name: Victory

Location: New Orleans, Louisiana

About: Daniel Victory has been lauded as a pioneer of the New Orleans “craft cocktail” emergence. Victory has high standards and is often found molding the next generation of bartenders. The grantee feedback and insights outlined the need for more support, both financial and otherwise, in dealing with the current pandemic. Main areas of request for assistance centered around how to keep afloat through the pandemic. According to National Restaurant Association estimates, more than six months after states implemented stay-at-home orders, over 100,000 bars & restaurants — or 15% of all eating and drinking establishments — have permanently closed.

We plan to continue our work and create more opportunities for growth for Black-owned bars & restaurants.

National Black Chamber of Commerce is the largest Black business association globally. It is dedicated to economically empowering and sustaining African-American communities through entrepreneurship and capitalistic activity. The NBCC is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, nonsectarian organization dedicated to African American communities’ economic empowerment. One hundred forty affiliated chapters are based throughout the nation, and international affiliate chapters in Bahamas, Brazil, Colombia, Ghana, Kenya, France, Botswana, Cameroon, and Jamaica.

Humble Ventures is a venture development firm that drives innovation forward through collaboration and partnerships with startups, investors, and established organizations. We focus on diverse entrepreneurs and those building solutions for diverse audiences.

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