GBUL boosts Black-owned restaurants in Baltimore

IN AN OLD SPACE ALONG MADISON AVENUE. DOMINIQUE ALLEN WORKS TOWARDS A NEW VISION, A NEW RESTAURANT FOR THE RESERVOIR HILL NEIGHBORHOOD TO ENJOY. AND I WAS LIKE, HEY, WE NEED A NEW CONCEPT THAT HAS VEGAN, VEGETARIAN, PESCATARIAN ITEMS COFFEE, TEAS. I WAS LIKE, ALL GOOD THINGS. I WAS LIKE, THAT WOULD BE A NICE NAME FOR A CAFE. ALL GOOD THINGS. CAFE WILL BE DOMINIQUE’S SECOND RESTAURANT VENTURE. VEGAN JUICE WAS HER FIRST BUSINESS AS SHE LOOKED TO TRANSITION TO HER NEXT RESTAURANT. SHE LOOKED TO THE GREATER BALTIMORE URBAN LEAGUE’S BLACK RESTAURANT ACCELERATOR PROGRAM FOR HELP IN THE PROGRAM. I ACTUALLY DID MY PITCH. I ACTUALLY DID A LOT OF LEGWORK TO BUILD THE BUSINESS PLAN WITH THE TOOLS AND RESOURCES, AS WELL AS MENTORSHIP FROM THE PROGRAM, AND WE HAD SOMEONE COME IN THAT WAS AN EXPERT IN ACCOUNTING. WE HAD ANOTHER PERSON THAT HAD EXPERIENCE WITH RUNNING DIFFERENT RESTAURANT BUSINESSES, SO THEM PROVIDING THOSE RESOURCES WAS EXTREMELY INVALUABLE IN MY PERSONAL GROWTH AS WELL AS PROFESSIONAL GROWTH. SO THIS IS THE COURTYARD. DOMINIQUE IS ONE OF 35 BUSINESS OWNERS WHO’VE GROWN THROUGH THE BLACK RESTAURANT ACCELERATOR PROGRAM. THE PROGRAM STARTED BACK IN 2021, WHEN THE PEPSI CO FOUNDATION TEAMED UP WITH THE NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE TO INVEST IN BLACK OWNED RESTAURANTS IN 13 CITIES, INCLUDING BALTIMORE. THEY DECIDED THAT DURING COVID, THERE WERE RESTAURANTS THAT WOULD NEED SUPPORT TO STAY FUNDED TO STAY ALIVE. THEY PROVIDE THAT FUNDING TO THEM. THEY PROVIDE RESOURCES THEY PROVIDE TRAINING TO THEM FROM CHEF TO ENTREPRENEUR, ALL THE WAY TO PIVOTING, MARKETING AND YOUR WAY FORWARD. SO FAR, THE BLACK RESTAURANT ACCELERATOR PROGRAM HAS AWARDED OVER $300,000 IN GRANTS TO RESTAURANT OWNERS IN BALTIMORE. THIS IS JUST ONE WAY THE GREATER BALTIMORE URBAN LEAGUE HAS HELPED BALTIMORE BUSINESSES OVER THE PAST CENTURY. THEY’RE CELEBRATING THOSE CONTRIBUTIONS AND MORE AT THEIR WHITNEY M YOUNG JUNIOR 100 YEAR ANNIVERSARY GALA ON NOVEMBER 9TH AT THE HILTON BALTIMORE INNER HARBOR THEY’LL HONOR BUSINESSES AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT LEADERS LIKE DAVID BRAMBLE WITH MCB REAL ESTATE EDDIE AND SYLVIA BROWN WITH BROWN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, JANET CURRY WITH BANK OF AMERICA AND GOVERNOR WES MOORE. AND AS THE GREATER BALTIMORE URBAN LEAGUE CELEBRATES A CENTURY OF IMPACT, DOMINIQUE CELEBRATES THE IMPACT THEY’VE HAD ON HER NEW BUSINESS AND DOZENS OF OTHERS HERE IN BALTIMORE. IT’S SO IMPORTANT BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES AS ENTREPRENEURS, WE FACE CHALLENGES EVERY DAY. IF IT’S, YOU KNOW, DEALING WITH EMPLOYEES, STAFFING, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO FIND SECURE FUNDING, THE PROGRAM REALLY HAS DIFFERENT TOOLS AND DIFFERENT POCKETS OF PEOPLE THAT CAN HELP WITH EVERYTHING. AND THE NEXT COHORT OF THE BLACK RESTAURANT ACCELERATOR PROGRAM STARTS NEXT YEAR. YOU CAN VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THAT. YOU CAN ALSO VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE GREATER BALTIMORE URBAN LEAGUE’S UPCOMING GALA ON NOVEMBER 9TH IN RESERVOIR HILL. I’

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