{"id":10167,"date":"2021-01-17T13:48:07","date_gmt":"2021-01-17T21:48:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.blacksuppliers.com\/?p=10167"},"modified":"2021-01-17T13:55:31","modified_gmt":"2021-01-17T21:55:31","slug":"businessweek","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.blacksuppliers.com\/?p=10167","title":{"rendered":"Businessweek"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Black-Owned Restaurants Get Free Creative Services With New Directory<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Before the summer, Danilo Batson had no direct connection to political activism. He worked as an events space bartender and server at places such as the Staples Center in Los Angeles and was a few months away from getting his license to practice nursing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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But after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, people in his predominantly White neighborhood gravitated to him as a source of information on how they could channel their outrage and help support Black-owned businesses. \u201cOrange County is 74% White,\u201d Batson says. \u201cThere aren\u2019t that many Black people they could ask, and I like to think I\u2019m open and expressive.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At first, he advised anyone who asked to \u201ceducate themselves.\u201d Then he came up with a more active role they could play. On June 2 he reached out to Dan Williams, a friend who does web development, to create a site for Black-owned spots in his area. On June 3 they bought the domain name for Spicy Green Book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Danilo BatsonSource: Spicy Green Book<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Anyone who saw Green Book<\/em>, the 2019 Oscar winner for best picture, knows the story behind the name. The guide\u2014its full name was The Negro Motorist Green Book<\/em>\u2014was created in 1936 by writer Victor Green for Black travelers on the lookout for welcoming restaurants and hotels in the Jim Crow era.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Spicy Green Book <\/a>is Batson\u2019s digital answer to that concept, but with a modern twist\u2014helping drive more customers to patronize Black-owned businesses. The directory is featured on an app and website that lists more than 150 Black-owned restaurants and food establishments in 20 states, from Oregon to New Jersey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI see people go out to eat just because of the pictures. Black businesses haven\u2019t always had that advantage\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He started with two L.A.-area spots, Bred\u2019s Nashville Hot Chicken<\/a> and the independently owned Grocery Outlet<\/a>. He then began reaching out to businesses beyond his area and fielding calls from people in other cities as word of Spicy Green Book spread.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Within a month he had 30 businesses. \u201cThese places weren\u2019t being talked about properly,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What distinguishes Batson\u2019s project from similar guides is its all-encompassing approach. A small army of volunteers take professional photographs and videos of each listing and write a vivid description of it, helping to better market its business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Among the businesses that Batson reached out to early on was Blondery<\/a>, a bakery in the Greenpoint neighborhood of Brooklyn, N.Y., that specializes in gourmet brownies, including a triple chocolate Brooklyn Blackout. Founder Auzerais Bellamy, who baked at nearby Pies \u2019n\u2019 Thighs and also at the French Laundry in Yountville, Calif., says Spicy Green Book has made a difference. \u201cThey sent a photographer to one of my pop-ups, which I thought was super cool,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Blondery\u2019s Auzerais Bellamy.Photographer: Melanie Dunea<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The placement has driven \u201cquite a bit of traffic,\u201d Bellamy says. \u201cSince we went live on their website in late July, we\u2019ve gotten $7,000 to $8,000 worth of business from them. For my bakery, that\u2019s something.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Blondery listing features images by photographer Sheri Silver. \u201cYou think, \u2018I want to do something to help.\u2019 This makes you feel like you are,\u201d says Silver, who\u2019s White.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Batson estimates that three to five businesses are added to the site each week, with help from a pool of more than 130 volunteers and the site\u2019s project manager, Kim Jackson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI live in Orange County,\u201d Batson says. \u201cI see people go out to eat just because of the pictures. Black businesses haven\u2019t always had that advantage. I want to get new eyes on them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a nonprofit, Spicy Green Book takes donations, and Batson says he\u2019s applying for grants. A few companies have reached out about corporate partnerships; official announcements will be made in early 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n