The event aims to promote Black-owned culinary businesses and food professionals unable to afford costly marketing campaigns on their own through complimentary public relations services. It's also meant to educate consumers on the abundance of cultural cuisines within their neighbourhoods and the disparities faced by racialized business owners.
"I'm not saying we don't get business, but I always say as a Black business, we kind of suffer a little bit, I think, just because of a lack of support." "We wanted to create something that was all-inclusive for them — the food truck, the bakery and the full-service restaurants," she said. "When people hear Black restaurants, they always assume like soul food or things like that, and you'll walk into cities and just see this whole world of international diversity kind of cuisine going on, whether it's African, through an Ethiopian population, or Caribbean," said Ferrell.
The study cited a Black Business and Professional Association survey which showed 81.4 per cent of Black female business owners reported having used their own funds to start their business. Some added that access to financing and the costs of loans are major obstacles to owning a business.