Black Restaurant Week 716 returns for 7th year

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Buffalo’s culinary scene is savoring the flavor of community, culture, and entrepreneurship as the 7th annual Black Restaurant Week 716 kicks off — and this year’s celebration is bigger than ever.

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Nearly 40 Black-owned businesses are participating in the event, which highlights the contributions of Black chefs, restaurant owners, and food vendors throughout the city. For entrepreneurs like Jamel Humphrey, owner of Mad Sauces food truck, the week is about more than just good food.

“It brings the community together, it brings us more business, we get noticed a little more — it’s just something special,” Humphrey said.

Humphrey, known for his bold and creative sauces, says he uses the event as a platform to share his unique flavor combinations — like steak hoagie wings — and to stand out in Buffalo’s competitive food scene.

“We live in Buffalo, so you have to be a little bit different,” he added. “We just have fun with it.”

The event is organized by the Buffalo Urban League Young Professionals, whose president emphasized the resources available to participating vendors this year. said Darnell

“We partnered up with The Exchange at Beverly Gray, who’s going to offer business services, business needs, and resources to these restaurants and vendors,” the president said. “We’re excited and looking forward to seeing them thrive,” Young Professionals President, Darnell Haywood said.

Among the standout participants this year is KT Caribbean Café, which just opened its first brick-and-mortar location on Michigan Avenue and Riley Street. The restaurant is co-owned by Terry and Kenwin Chiddick, who are originally from Trinidad and Tobago.

After nearly a decade running a food tent and four years with a food truck, the Chiddicks took the leap this summer and brought their island flavors to a permanent space in Buffalo.

“We realized that there was not a lot of cultural food, especially from our islands specifically, and we figured that’s a gap we can fill,” Terry Chiddick said.

The new location offers a refreshing alternative in a neighborhood previously dominated by fast food options.

“They can actually have some real, home-style, flavorful cooking for their families,” she said. “It means a lot. Every day someone comes by and says, ‘Thank you. This food is great. We appreciate you. We’ve been waiting so long. We’re so happy that you’re in the community.’”

Black Restaurant Week 716 not only celebrates culinary excellence but also strengthens community ties and supports the growth of Black-owned businesses in Buffalo — one delicious plate at a time.