Inaugural Long Beach Black Restaurant Week Celebrates Local Black-owned Breweries and Bakeries

Long Beach Black Restaurant Week launches on Sunday, Jan. 23, to celebrate and feature locally Black-owned restaurants, bakeries, and breweries within the community. 

During this eight-day event, participating Black-owned restaurants and eateries can be found through the event’s website with special offers and discounts on meals. 

Pop-up events will also occur during the week. Trademark Brewing will host the first pop-up event on Jan. 25 at 4:30 p.m., featuring chefs from Northtown Bistro, A Pinch of Salt, Filthy Rich Banana Pudding, KAT’s Gourmet Cookies, and other local restaurants. 

Kim Thomas, the owner of KAT’s Gourmet Cookies, is originally from Manhattan, NY, a city that she said was known for its diverse population.

“When I came out here, I was very pleased to come to a city with so many different cultures and food to choose from,” she said. “I’m really glad that we are able to showcase African American food here in Long Beach.”

Children and adults of all ages can look forward to trying one of Thomas’s classic chocolate chip, peanut butter, and dark chocolate or oatmeal cookies at Tuesday’s pop-up event. 

Throughout the week, community members are invited to visit the webpage to find featured African, African-American and Caribbean restaurants to dine-in, order take-out, or request featured items for pick-up. 

Food lovers can also find local spots of food trucks through the webpage as well. 

Long Beach and Food Beverage, a registered California 501(c)3 non-profit, is the organization hosting the inaugural Black Restaurant Week. Terri Henry, the executive director of Long Beach Food and Beverage, said she was excited to put on Long Beach’s first Black Restaurant Week celebration and hoped to make this an annual tradition. 

“In addition to encouraging local and surrounding ‘foodies’ to enjoy what the expanding Long Beach Black culinary community has to offer, Long Beach Black Restaurant Week is a medium to bring everyone to the table, from all walks of life to showcase the city’s diverse Black food scene,” Henry said.

Sponsors of Long Beach Black Restaurant Week include the Port of Long Beach, Long Beach Transit, The 100 Black Men LBC, Inc. and the office of Councilwoman Cindy Allen.