It's the seventh year of Black Restaurant Week, founded by Lauran Smith, who decided that it was simply time for African American-owned food and beverage businesses to have increased visibility after realizing that there were so many in Chicago that were not heard of.
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Chicago Black Restaurant Week: Luella's Southern Kitchen
"This idea actually blossomed out of learning that a very popular restaurant in Chicago was black owned. It sparked my interest to not only patronize this particular establishment, but to also give other Black-owned restaurants, bakeries, mobile eateries, beverage companies the opportunity to have their businesses recognized on a larger scale," Smith said.
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The week will feature coffee shops, soul food and vegan food among others; To see a list of participants, click here.