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Kevin Johnson’s food venture is rapidly growing. As AFROTECH™ previously told you, the former NBA player who made headlines for becoming the first Black mayor of Sacramento, CA, is the founder of a restaurant venture named Fixins Soul Kitchen. He opened the first location in that very city, which is also his hometown, in 2019, notes Eater Detroit. “I grew up in Oak Park, so that was the poor part of the city of Sacramento, and like every city around the country, it was the underserved community,” Johnson told Eater. “I wanted to do our first Fixins in that neighborhood to prove that we could be successful in the neighborhood I grew up in.” Fixins Soul Kitchen has expanded and now has four locations in the following areas: Sacramento, CA (Oak Park) Los Angeles, CA (LA Live) Tulsa, OK (Black Wall Street) Detroit, MI (Paradise Valley) View this post on Instagram A post shared by Fixins Soul Kitchen (@fixinssoulkitchen) The restaurant’s menu items were inspired by various soul food...
Restaurants and pop culture have a special relationship with Red Lobster. From the mention of its signature biscuits in songs to being one of the go-to spots for family and friends, Red Lobster has decades of impressions among millions of consumers. Now, the fast-casual restaurant has a new CEO at its helm, 35-year-old Damola Adamolekun. Adamolekun is a Nigerian native who now leads Red Lobster after a successful stint as the top executive and first Black CEO of the Asian-fusion restaurant P.F. Chang’s. According to the National Restaurant Association, Adamolekun helped generate an estimated $1 billion in revenue for the chain. This level of expertise is part of the reason the former Goldman Sachs investment banker was hired to help Red Lobster overcome its looming business performance problems. In May 2024, the seafood chain filed for bankruptcy. CNN noted that years of mismanagement, inflation, and competition led to more than $1 billion in debt and less than $30 million in cash...
Emmanuel Eribo made several pivots before settling on a luxury vegan sneaker and apparel brand. Business Insider reports Eribo, a self-taught coder, had studied psychology in college but saw finance as an opportunity for growth. He was able to land a finance job after learning enough about coding and did the programming for the trading floor at HSBC. He spent eight years in the sector but wanted to pivot into entrepreneurship, although it was unclear what specific route. “At first, I was very afraid to quit my job, but being an entrepreneur, that fear is constant, and you get comfortable with it,” he told the outlet. Eribo considered different ideas with the help of his brother and peers. He ultimately created a ballerina shoe brand named Butterfly Twists, which prompted his official exit from finance. It paid off as the brand eventually scaled to 32 stores across 67 countries, with 1 million pairs sold annually. However, Eribo still was not satisfied. “On the surface, we were doing...
A popular chicken spot loved by Oprah Winfrey is spreading its wings. Ezell’s Famous Chicken, a Seattle, WA-based chain co-founded by Lewis Rudd in 1984 is preparing to bring the business to Kirkland, WA. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Rudd opened the restaurant with his sister, Faye Rudd, and a high school friend Ezell Stephens, according to Oregon Live. Then in 1989, it scored two visits from Oprah Winfrey. The media mogul was impressed with the menu, featuring Louisiana-style fried chicken made fresh daily in pure vegetable oil, baked rolls, barbecue beans, and mac and cheese. She even hired Ezell’s Famous Chicken to cater her 36th birthday celebration in Chicago, IL. The exposure from Winfrey led to an increase in customers for Ezell’s Famous Chicken. “We had people literally driving from Longview, Washington, to get chicken,” Rudd said, according to Oregon Live. “We couldn’t keep up with the demand.” Over the years, other notable names have stopped by to support the...
Byron Cogdell Sr. is scaling his million-dollar business. According to Buffalo Business First, he is the founder of The Hoagie Stop, a Buffalo, NY-based venture he began after committing 15 years to the restaurant industry, including 10 years at Cole’s. His motivation to start his own business came from grilling and selling hoagies right in his backyard. He also prepared his own sauces. Now the business has grown to three establishments, with two located in Buffalo at 220 Allen St. and 183 Hertel Ave., and another at 2195 Clinton St. in West Seneca, NY. All locations opened between 2021 and 2023. Furthermore, a fourth Buffalo location is set to open in September 2024 at 2285 Main St. The venture has faired well for Cogdell, crossing $1 million in revenue, the outlet notes. Now, he is preparing for new scenery, because he is moving to Dallas, TX. He became fascinated with the city after visiting his mother-in-law. Now, he plans to open a restaurant in that city too. “We were just...
Donae Burston is behind a history-making wine company. Before becoming founder and CEO of La Fête Wine Co., “a fresh, modern, and inclusive wine brand,” in 2019, Burston entered the spirits industry as a brand ambassador. It wasn’t long before he had scaled to promotions manager at Heineken then allocated eight years at Moët Hennessy, launching the first and only champagne bar in the Miami Heat American Airlines arena, Uncorked and Cultured reports. He also dedicated three years with Jay-Z’s champagne brand, Champagne Armand de Brignac. Burston would pivot to entreprenuership following a visit to Saint-Tropez, France, during his 30th birthday celebration, his website mentions. Many locals were drinking what he believed to be White Zinfandel, but he discovered it was a Côtes de Provence Rosé and was immediately drawn to its taste. Another catalyst would be meeting the owner of a local winery. “Being in a chance encounter in the south of France and meeting the owner of a winery, I was...
A beloved bookstore is banking on the support of its community to remain open. As AFROTECH™ previously told you, Nikki High, who had dedicated more than a decade to managing communications at Trader Joe’s, made history for opening the first Black-owned bookstore in Pasadena, CA, in 2023. High received over $22,000 in donations through GoFundMe to launch the store honoring author Octavia Butler after she shared her intentions for the business on X, formerly Twitter. The post went viral with nearly 5.1 million views and 10,000 retweets at the time, according to The Guardian. “I wanted [my bookstore] to be completely independent so that I would not have to compromise my values,” High said, per the outlet. Now, the beloved bookstore is in need of funding to stay in business. High reveals on Instagram that she has reopened the GoFundMe for the bookstore and cites lower resources as well as the complexities of the book selling industry as the reasoning. “We need a lifeline,” she wrote on...
A mother-and-son duo are growing in business together. The Akron Beacon Journal reports that Nneka Slade, 49, and her son, Kameron Coleman, 25, are the owners of Play Beauty Supply in Richmond Heights, OH. Before they acquired the store, Slade had worked as a cosmetologist for over three decades. The duo purchased their first storefront i n 2020, during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic . “We learned a lot about each other,” Slade told the outlet. “I’m more of the left brain-organized, structured, and Kameron is more of the right brain-creative, risk taker. There’s a nice balance that happens.” At first, Slade pivoted from working directly with clients to having an e-commerce business selling hair extensions. Then after buying Play Beauty Supply, Coleman would travel to hair salons and stylists to bring greater attention to their products. “She leans on me to bring in the new 21st-century ideas, the delivery, websites, marketing. It’s a balance with each other,” Coleman said....
There appears to be no limits for 2 Chainz in his quest as an entrepreneur. Krystal As AFROTECH™ previously reported the “I’m Different” artist was named the head of creative marketing for fast-food chain Krystal, a venture that pays homage to his upbringing with its sliders and shakes. The opportunity led to the launch of a series of new platforms and partnerships with the brand, such as menus, merchandising, and co-branded restaurants based in Atlanta, GA. “I can remember Krystal being a part of so many pivotal moments of my childhood and teen years,” 2 Chainz said in a statement at the time. “ Some of my best moments were made better by going to Krystal, and I’m a fan for life. I want everyone to feel that, too, and can’t wait to put Krystal in the spotlight it deserves.” Esco Restaurant & Tapas Scaling his interests in the food space, 2 Chainz has also franchised his Esco Restaurant & Tapas — created alongside his business partner Mychel “Snoop” Dillard in 2016 — with plans to...
A community-driven project is coming to revitalize Charlotte, NC. According to a press release provided to AFROTECH™, The Whitaker Group — the creative company behind brands such as A Ma Maniére, Social Status, APB, and Prosper — has revealed its plans for The Collective on Tuckaseegee , a 13,000-square-foot compound and retail campus with 10 retail units located in Charlotte. The Collective aims to stimulate economic development in many ways. The venture will feature local entrepreneurs as well as The Whitaker Group’s existing brands, partners, and experiences, including APB Skatepark, the first privately held, Black-owned, publicly accessible, non-DIY skatepark in the country. This skatepark was developed in collaboration with The Boardr, which encompasses three firms with expertise in skateboarding facility design and construction, event production and consulting, and athlete management, its website mentions. Additionally, The Whitaker Group plans to launch the in-house apparel...
Dr. Lakeysha Hallmon is creating wealth for Black entrepreneurs. The Village Market The former educator is CEO and founder of The Village Market, an Atlanta, GA-based marketplace launched in 2016 for Black entrepreneurs. Hallmon moved to the city in 2010 to work as an education research and evaluation specialist with the Georgia Department of Education, according to Forbes. Yet, she turned her attention toward strengthening the Black dollar upon observing trends between retail businesses and Black consumers. She began hosting monthly master classes geared toward entrepreneurship and community development, LinkedIn mentions. The Village Retail The Village Market soon followed the master classes. Hallmon’s savings of $20,000, along with $3,500 pooled from family and friends, supported the marketplace’s beginning stages. The venture proved fruitful and allowed it to scale to a storefront in 2020 with The Village Retail. However, the retail launch proved to be a trying time for Hallmon....
Larry Morrow is opening another restaurant in his hometown of New Orleans, LA. As previously reported by AFROTECH™, Morrow became an entrepreneur at 22 years old with the opening of Larry’s Poboys & Wings, which later closed. Learning from his mistakes and with the wisdom that comes with age, he would return with the opening of Morrow’s in 2018. “Learning from when I was 22, it helped prepare for when I opened up Morrow’s,” he mentioned during an interview with “Earn Your Leisure.” “I knew I needed more reserves and I was just mentally in a better place. I was much more mature than 22 years old.” He continued, “I opened up Morrow’s, it was like a line out the door and I’m like, ‘Oh sh-t, we on to something.” Morrow would go to open up five different restaurants and a club by 2023, and most recently his business has scaled once again with the launch of Morrow Steak, bringing him closer to his aspirations of making history in the hospitality industry. “I want to be the largest...
Another win for Derrick Hayes. The Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks founder and CEO has secured a four-year agreement that will scale the business at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA. Starting in 2022, he had two portable vendor cart slots placed around the stadium and soon expanded to three. Now, sports fans will be able to visit a brick-and-mortar location in Section 107 of Mercedes-Benz Stadium and enjoy staple items such as signature cheesesteaks, seasoned fries, chicken tenders, and its newest offering, the Fried Chicken Cheesesteak. The new location will replace the carts. “We are thrilled to secure this four-year deal with Mercedes-Benz Stadium, further expanding the reach of Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks,” Hayes said in a news release. “This partnership aligns perfectly with our mission to bring our exceptional food to even more fans and event-goers. We look forward to being a proud sponsor and delivering an unparalleled dining experience at one of the world’s premier sports and...
Former pharmacist Brittney Mikell will be making history in her next chapter. WCCO-TV reports Mikell exited her role in pharmacy after experiencing burnout. She then decided to purse her passion in brewing and landed a role as an assistant brewer at La Dona Cerveceria in Minneapolis, MN. “I didn’t feel like I was making the impact that I really wanted to in healthcare,” Mikell explained to Eater Twin Cities. “I woke up one day and realized that this could be a really cool place where I could make an impact. You only really live once, so I decided, let’s just pivot — why not?” Mikell maintained bigger aspirations while working at La Dona Cerveceria, referring to herself as “a huge dreamer,” per WCCO-TV. She plans to become the first Black woman to own a brewery in Minnesota. This is significant as just 1% of breweries in the U.S. are Black-owned, Essence reports. Additionally, of the 200 breweries in the state, few are owned by women or people of color, WCCO-TV mentions. “The...
Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks, founded by Derrick Hayes, is crossing state lines. The restaurant, which was born from Hayes’ interest in cooking while in the kitchen with his grandfather, notes Forbes, has scaled from a 700-square-foot gas station in Dunwoody, GA, to multiple locations across Atlanta, GA, including the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. In 2023, Hayes’ had cemented a deal that pivoted the business to a franchise model allowing the restaurant to further capitalize off its success. By doing so, 10 restaurants are already set to form across central Florida as former PepsiCo executive Derek Lewis signed a franchise agreement with Hayes in January 2024, as AFROTECH™ previously reported. Now, Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks is poised for even further growth in light of its newest establishment opening at 8552 University City Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28213, its first out-of-state location, according to a press release provided to AFROTECH™. “From a humble gas station start to expanding across state...