Fans from across the city and around the world traveled to Soldier Field earlier this month for the second stop of Beyoncé’s nine-city “Cowboy Carter tour and Rodeo Chitlin Circuit” tour. With the influx of tourists in Chicago came the “Beyoncé bump,” which Black businesses and entrepreneurs welcomed with open arms.
Chelsey Alexandrea Carter-Sanders, the founder of Chicago-based fashion brand Alex Carter, was tapped to work on the tour’s wardrobe team during the Chicago stop. She said she’s blessed and grateful for the opportunity.
“The locals in each city are pretty important, right? Because they come in with a list of opportunities and resources. Like, ‘Hey, where can we get this kind of leather? Does anyone know anybody that’s good at this? Can we get them here?’ I can say that I was resourceful in that way as well,” Carter-Sanders told The TRiiBE.
A St. Louis native, Carter-Sanders attended the School of the Art Institute in Chicago, where she honed her skills to create her Alex Carter brand.
The tour’s cowboy theme allowed Carter-Sanders to get creative with custom designs for her own customers. She created various pieces for some fans who will attend the upcoming London leg of the Cowboy Carter tour. The unique designs included a variety of chaps that, she said, ranged in sizes and materials from suede to denim.
“No matter where she goes, the girls are interested in custom pieces, baby,” Carter-Sanders said. “I appreciate the business. I appreciate the creative drive and the will, because it takes a lot to get a custom piece done.”
Queen Bey’s presence also jolted other Black businesses across the city.
Choose Chicago, the city’s tourism arm, announced on its social media account that the weekend of May 11-17 was “one of the strongest on record,” adding that close to $85 million in hotel revenue was generated. While Queen Bey was a major factor, the agency noted that the city also hosted the National Restaurant Association Show the same weekend. According to Bloomberg, May 17th’s hotel bookings beat out a previous record set by soccer player Lionel Messi for most single-day hotel bookings in Chicago. Beyoncé’s Chicago tour dates were May 15, 17 and 18.
Black-owned eatery Bronzeville Soul made headlines two years ago during Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour after Jay-Z made a stop at the soul food restaurant on the second night of the show. Owner Mario Coleman said the impact was notable after the famous rapper patronized the establishment.
“The element of that surprise was huge. It was overwhelming. It propelled the restaurant to a different height. Gave us a lot of momentum. It gave us a lot of [growth]. It made us grow a lot. Faster than we had known that we could,” Coleman said. “The magnitude of him just popping up was huge. I don’t even think you can get that again. In comparison, it would have to be something so phenomenal that it doesn’t make sense.”
This year, the restaurant offered the “Cowboy Carter” special, which included a catfish fillet with a choice of two sides and a cornbread muffin. They also offered a special named after Jay-Z, who ordered beef short ribs and a pound cake, for a reduced price. People who came into the establishment dressed in their cowboy attire received a free house tea.
Co-owner Angie Price said Bronzeville Soul saw a 75% increase in catfish sales and a 40% increase in its short ribs sales during the Chicago leg of the Cowboy Carter tour.
“We do appreciate what’s been done for us. Through Jay-Z even coming to the restaurant, we 100% appreciate it, and anytime we get to show our gratitude, I think you’ll find us doing that,” Coleman said. “We never really had a chance to tell either one of them thank you, but hopefully they understand.”
Heather Bublick, co-owner of the barbecue restaurant Soul & Smoke, which has a booth inside Soldier Field year-round, said they saw an increase in sales during the Cowboy Carter tour that was higher than any usual concert in town. She credited the boost to the stormy weather delay before Thursday night’s show. Concert goers took to the sheltered parts of the stadium to stay dry, and that’s where their booth is located — in section 312.
“Certainly the first night was busy with a long delay that helped with sales,” Bublick said. “You know, people are there longer, they eat more, right?”
Soul & Smoke has been in Soldier Field going on three Bears seasons, according to Bublick. They, too, experienced working during the Renaissance World Tour.
“I think she was our first concert. I was so determined to get in before Renaissance. We did do vegan sliders that year, and we put up a sign that said, ‘Be Like Beyoncé. Eat our vegan sliders.’” The tag was a reference to when the singer followed a 22-day vegan challenge in 2013.
Eric Williams, owner of The Silver Room and Bronzeville Winery, told The TRiiBE that both his businesses saw high levels of traffic for the weekend.
The Silver Room, an art, community and culture boutique in Hyde Park, welcomed Nigeria-founded company Dye Lab to the shop for a pop-up during the Cowboy Carter tour stop. The vibe was fueled with the energy of many, who Williams said, were not native to Chicago.
“When somebody comes in town to see Beyoncé from some other city, they want to know where the Black spots are at. So then they hear about The Silver Room and they want to get this culture,” Williams said.
Bronzeville Winery, which is admired for the various events that cater to Chicago’s Black population, also saw a lot of traffic during Cowboy Carter weekend.
During a pre-game link up, the spot offered Cowboy Carter-themed food and drinks on each night of her shows; Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. The event also included a best cowboy ensemble contest. Williams added that concert goers also parked their cars near the establishment and caught ride-shares to Soldier Field.
Williams said Black businesses were at an advantage during the Cowboy Carter stop because of the power of social media and the highlighting of Black businesses in various cities.
“If you are a culturally relevant or a culturally specific business to Black culture, and you had products or a restaurant, I can guarantee that they all saw an increase in sales, like any Black-owned restaurant, any Black-owned store, definitely saw [more] people come in for sure,” he said.
Williams added that the cowboy theme was helpful for business owners to get creative with, which helped with the economic boost.
“I don’t remember seeing the same impact [during Renaissance World Tour],” Williams said. “I don’t know if this was because of the time of the year or we were more intentional about our programming, but definitely there was more excitement, I felt like, this time around. I think because the thematic thing worked, like, the whole cowboy thing worked.”
Williams also noticed how the latest album added a renewed emphasis on country as Black music, which he was proud to witness.
“I will say it was nice to see people embracing this music that, again, like, it’s our music, actually,” he said. “And people dressing up in cowboy outfits, it was really, actually endearing to see the people really get into it.”
