Last year, more than 70 restaurants participated in Blaktober. Patrons walked in or placed an order over the phone and said “Blaktober” to receive a discount at participating restaurants. Additionally, Black People Eats offered a virtual online event that included an e-cookbook with recipes from Black chefs and live virtual cooking demonstrations.
This year, Joyce says Black People Eats will host an in-person brunch and a dinner party. You can RSVP for Black People Eats: Sweetest Day Brunch here.
His goal for next year is to host an in-person Blaktober, similar to the Taste of Chicago.
Blaktober comes at a moment where the restaurant industry is still reeling from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the pandemic’s early months, mandated stay-at-home orders forced some Chicago restaurants to close temporarily, while others closed for good.
Restaurants and bars statewide were instructed to limit orders to pickup and delivery. Some businesses had to reduce staff and hours to remain in business.
Even though pandemic restrictions have eased up, Joyce said Black-owned restaurants in the Chicago area are still having a hard time. “They’re dealing with staff shortages which means they can’t produce as much as they used to, so now the wait times are longer,” he said.
Staff shortages are also impacting restaurant vendors, Joyce added. So business owners are paying higher prices for food, which raises the costs of menu items at restaurants.
On Juneteenth 2021 Black People Eats launched its second annual Black Restaurant Relief Fund event. According to an Instagram post on June 1, $100,000 was raised last year. Joyce said, because of the 2020 summer uprisings and the pandemic, he believes there was much more awareness and willingness to support Black-owned businesses last year.
This year, he’s only been able to raise $20,000 for the Black Restaurant Relief Fund so far.
The funds will be used to help Black restaurant owners make repairs, pay their employees and cover the cost for any damages to their businesses. Joyce will distribute $5,000 each to four businesses, with the winners announced during Blaktober.
The TRiiBE caught up with Joyce ahead of the Blaktober kick-off to discuss why it’s vital to support Black businesses and the challenges facing Black companies with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
(This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity).