Black Restaurant Weeks: 2-week event exhibits more than 130 businesses in Houston's food scene

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Black Restaurant Weeks has started in Houston. This year's event is a full two weeks, with more than 130 businesses participating. Marketing opportunities like this help Black restaurant owners and the community.

Black-owned restaurants contribute a lot to Houston's reputation as a food town. There are plenty of popular establishments, but Derek Robinson with Black Restaurant Weeks said his goal is to guide people to something they haven't tried before.

"Just because you may have been in a particular part of the city, such as Third Ward, and you're pretty used to some of the restaurants around," he said. "There's always some other restaurants for you to try."

There are more than 130 restaurants participating this year in the greater Houston area, Beaumont, and Galveston. Many owners may not have a marketing budget or know how to use social media effectively. KeAndre' Jordan has 250,000 followers on his My Southern Brand Instagram page where he posts about Black businesses. He said events like Black Restaurant Week are necessary to keep the community thriving.

"If Houston markets its Black community the way that it should, everybody will know much more about it, and you will see more and more Black businesses opening up," Jordan said.

To which Robinson added, "250 restaurants in the greater Houston is a dream of ours. We want to continue to make sure we are expanding properly and efficiently and giving these businesses the platform they deserve."

The creators of Houston's Black Restaurant Weeks are also investing in the community. Last week, they awarded the owner of This Is It with a $10,000 grant and six months of business development assistance. Tuesday, they're hosting a lunch and learn for future Black restaurant owners at the University of Houston and Texas Southern University.

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