Latest news with #Black-owned
Eater
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Eater
Detroit's First Black-Owned Brewery Wants to Make Drinking Stout a Year-Round Tradition
is a writer born with over two decades of experience in the restaurant industry, and she has been covering the local food and beverage scene for the past eight years. Detroit's first Black-owned brewery, Roar Brewing, opened its taproom at 666 Selden Street in early July with a weekend celebration that kicked off on Thursday, July 10. The three-day event featured a ribbon-cutting ceremony, a set by Detroit's own DJ Invisible, live music performances, TVs broadcasting local sports, and a lively hustle line that energized the courtyard patio. And, of course, there were plenty of pints — most notably the MVP of the tap list, a black honey oat stout. That choice wasn't accidental; it speaks directly to the brewery's mission and identity. When discussing the lack of representation in Michigan's craft beer scene, especially in Detroit, owner Evan Fay attributes it to people's unfamiliarity with the product or fear of how they might be perceived as newcomers to the industry. 'Think of us as Detroit's Guinness' 'I don't think people don't drink craft beer. I think they just don't drink beer, yet,' Fay says. 'I didn't drink a ton of beer before going into the service, but once I started learning about its complexities and the people behind it, it changed my perspective. I started to imagine what my place in it could look like. I'm hoping to inspire others in that way, too.' Roar's black honey oat stout is the brewery's main beer, a rare choice since few breweries make a dark stout their flagship. 'We want to make everyone stout drinkers,' Fay says. 'It represents the brewery really well; dark, smooth, creamy, and there's a subtle sweetness from the honey. People think stouts are just for cold weather, but I want to enjoy them any time, all the time. Think of us as Detroit's Guinness.' Roar Brewing debuted with six beers. Courtney Burk 'Craft breweries are good at gathering the community together through their programming,' Fay says. 'When I was traveling a lot, breweries and cafes were where we went to grab a drink and get to know the city through there. Breweries and cafes are two businesses that I've started because of that aspect — building community to make everyone feel at home right away.' Fay's interest in beer started after college, while stationed in Cheyenne, Wyoming. 'My first experience with beer in college wasn't craft,' Fay says. 'But being stationed near Fort Collins, [Colorado], I'd visit New Belgium often and got immersed in the culture. Later in Alaska, spots like Midnight Sun Brewing had that same welcoming vibe. When we moved to Detroit, I knew I wanted to emulate that here.' Roar debuted with a lineup of six beers, which it calls its franchise players: a raspberry wheat, pilsner, IPA, amber, and that honey oat stout. The beers are brewed on a 10-barrel system by head brewer Dave Hale, formerly of Nain Rouge. Fay served as assistant brewer during the early stages, helping develop the lineup in collaboration, but stepped back as day-to-day operations began drawing his attention away from the brewing process. The brewery uses locally sourced ingredients, including malt from Great Lakes Malt and honey from Hives for Heroes, a Michigan-based, veteran-owned business. Roar's interior opens onto an extended patio through a roll-up garage door, linking it to the nearby restaurant corridor. The brewery plans to add an 800-square-foot, three-and-a-half-season room to the outdoor plaza to increase covered seating. Events include karaoke nights, hustle and line dancing, weekly drum circles, and sports watch parties, aiming to make the brewery both a gathering spot and a taproom. A small bites food menu is currently being developed in collaboration with the neighboring Barcade, an old-school video game arcade and beer bar, and the brewery collaborated with So Creamalicious on a popcorn flight that pairs with the taproom's franchise players beer flight. The brewery also offers a pay-it-forward program inspired by Midnight Sun Brewing, where guests can buy a beer for someone who has experienced a specific situation or moment written on a card, which is then hung on the wall. Instead of a traditional mug club, Roar offers a season pass model tied to Detroit's pro sports teams. The annual Roar Pride membership costs about $175, while season pass memberships range from approximately $100 to $150. The brewery also has plans to host three brewery tours a day with beertenders facilitating them. Fay's goal is for everyone that works at Roar to know as much about the beer and the brewing process as the brewers do. The aim is to make beer really accessible to everyone in a comfortable and inviting environment. Roar Brewing is located at 666 Selden Street in Detroit; open 4 p.m. to midnight Monday though Thursday, noon to midnight Friday and Saturday, and noon to 8 p.m. on Sunday — except during football season.
Technical.ly
2 days ago
- Business
- Technical.ly
After a quiet year, Black and Mobile is going on an East Coast comeback tour
Startup profile: Black and Mobile Founded by: David Cabello and Aaron Cabello Year founded: 2019 Headquarters: Philadelphia, PA Sector: Foodtech Funding and valuation: Bootstrapped Key ecosystem partners: Techstars, Google, Penn Medicine Food delivery startup Black and Mobile is planning a summer splash with a 60-city tour that follows a year of behind-the-scenes improvements. Founded in 2019 to connect residents with Black-owned restaurants in their cities, the Philadelphia-headquartered company already operates in Philly, Atlanta, Baltimore, New York and Los Angeles. Now it's time to 'activate' in more markets, Black and Mobile founder David Cabello told After the tour, he's aiming to hit $185,000 to $225,000 in annual recurring revenue — and grow from there. 'If we have options in every city [on the tour],' Cabello said, 'and if we can generate an order a day, that's putting us over $1 million.' Currently, word of mouth is drawing new users from around the country. When many open the app, however, they find no listings local to their region. To change that, Cabello plans to spend the tour signing up new restaurants, hiring drivers, connecting with customers — and creating a lot of social content. 'TikTok has been huge for us. I used it for the first time last year … the numbers were crazy. Now, for seven months straight, we're going to be posting every single day,' he said about the account, which currently sits around 10,000 followers. That potential growth in visibility could determine whether Black and Mobile starts raising capital. Once revenue hits about $30,000 to $40,000 monthly — as opposed to the current burn rate of $4,000 to $5,000 — Cabello said he'll consider looking for investors. 'Being lean is keeping me away from getting scammed and trusting my family and although I'm going slower, I still own most of my company,' he said, instead of sharing ownership with an investor or risking getting pushed out. The tour kicks off Aug. 1 in Trenton, New Jersey. From there, Cabello will travel to South Florida, then loop around to Houston, Minneapolis and dozens of cities in between. If all goes well, he plans a West Coast swing in 2026. 'Restaurants are just not going to sign up just because we're a Black-owned delivery service,' Cabello said. 'They got to see us doing the work in the community.' A mission-driven origin Black and Mobile began after Cabello, then a driver for food delivery apps like Postmates and Caviar, decided to build a platform that would circulate dollars within the Black community. He co-founded the business with his brother, Aaron Cabello. In its first two years, the startup expanded to three cities, upgraded its app and even landed a cameo in the Pharrell Williams and Jay-Z music video 'Entrepreneur.' The early success landed Black and Mobile a place on 2021 RealLIST Startups and 2020 Startup of the Year award. Black and Mobile relaunched in 2022 with $10,000 it won in a contest hosted by the Black Innovation Alliance called the Back in the Black Tour. The next year, it launched a $1 million crowdfunding campaign to support its efforts and in 2024, it participated in Techstars' spring 2024 cohort. 'What we've been seeing is that people would rather order through a Black-owned delivery service,' Cabello said, 'because they feel like they're making an impact.' Turning hurdles into pillars of success Black and Mobile's growth hasn't come without setbacks. Early internal personnel conflicts and getting caught in a couple scams slowed momentum. In its second year, the company refunded $400,000 due to a lack of drivers and tech infrastructure, per Cabello. He's now intentionally keeping the team lean. Black and Mobile relies on a crew of independent contractors to keep overhead low. The company will only consider more hiring as volume increases, according to Cabello. Despite these constraints, wins continue to pile up. Since March, Black and Mobile has been listed alongside DoorDash and Uber Eats in Google search results for food delivery, which Cabello said boosted app downloads by over 50%. Compared to the competition, however, 'we're not meant to be a cheap service,' Cabello said. 'We're definitely meant for the mission and the purpose.' It's also staying true to its Philly roots. Black and Mobile partners with Penn Medicine to deliver meals to vulnerable community members, and distributes 100 food bags to local middle schools each month. For the founder, it's always been about uplifting Black-owned businesses. He's open to others replicating his approach, as long as they're in it for the right reasons. 'I would never patent what I'm doing,' Cabello said, 'because I want people to go help Black people.'
Time Out
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Photograph: Gift Jr Gwambe
Helmed by Rhythm Section boss Bradley Zero and producer Nathanael Williams, Jumbi is a hi-fi bar in Peckham where dancing is not just encouraged, but irresistible. Jumbi sees a steady stream of weekly events – from DJs at the weekends, to live music, open decks and quieter book clubs during the week, plus they've even turned the venue into a pop-up roller rink for certain days over the summer of 2025. Jurkish are in the kitchen, serving innovative Jamaican-Turkish fusion dishes from 12-10pm Thursdays to Saturdays, and 12-8pm on Sundays: think plantain falafel, curry goat manti dumplings, saltfish kofte and more. A one stop shop for great grub and unbeatable vibes that celebrate the Afro-Caribbean diaspora, Jumbi is a treat for all the senses - with free entry most nights (until 10pm on weekends) to boot. Order this: Jumbi's drinks list is designed 'to reflect our small island heritage with a slowly growing rum focus,' says Zero. There's a rum punch menu, a banana mai tai, and many of the rums have been selected to spotlight Black-owned brands.
Cosmopolitan
5 days ago
- Business
- Cosmopolitan
Ami Colé is closing: It's time to wake up before another Black-owned beauty brand disappears
I'm exhausted. Tired in a bone-deep, soul-sapped, can't-believe-we're-here-again kind of way. I almost didn't write this letter because it feels like déjà vu wrapped in heartbreak. The news that Ami Colé, one of the most beloved Black-owned beauty brands, is shuttering after a wildly successful four-year run is as devastating as it is familiar. We know the stats. They're damning. Less than 0.1 percent of venture capital funding goes to Black women entrepreneurs. That's not just a missed opportunity — it's an intentional failure of imagination, investment, and equity. I've dedicated my career to celebrating, uplifting, and advocating for diversity and inclusion in beauty. And yet, most days, it feels like I'm preaching to the choir or screaming into the void. I've used every platform I've been blessed to hold — my voice, my bylines, my seat at the proverbial (and sometimes literal) table — to spotlight the undeniable brilliance of Black-owned brands. And still, I watch them disappear one by one. So now, I'm talking to you: the billion-dollar conglomerates and investors with deep pockets. The legacy houses and corporate giants with the power and purse strings to change the narrative. Yes, I'm talking to you, L'Oréal Groupe, Estée Lauder Companies Inc., Unilever Global, Proctor & Gamble, Coty Inc., Shiseido Company, e.l.f. Beauty Inc., and all the rest. You with the billion-dollar budgets who know how to write the checks that shift culture and make us all feel oh-so-beautiful. You who made room for rhode, Drunk Elephant, OUAI, and Hourglass Cosmetics, to name a few (and no shade — those were solid plays). So, let's not pretend the bank accounts are suddenly empty when it comes to funding Black-owned brilliance. There is money. There is infrastructure. There is a proven formula. So, where's the disconnect when it comes to investing in brands that speak deeply, authentically, and powerfully to communities of colour? Ami Colé did that—and then some. This wasn't an underdog story waiting to be fixed. This was a brand that had already done the damn thing. Over $3 million raised. On shelves in 600+ Sephora stores. Media acclaim. Award-winning products. Loved by the likes of Oprah and Martha Stewart. A founder (Diarrha N'Diaye-Mbaye) who formally worked at L'Oreal and in product development at Glossier. Viral moments. Cult-status glosses. A community that showed up, showed out, and bought in. The consumers did their part. So, why wasn't that enough? I'm devastated not just for the brand but for what this signals to Black founders everywhere: That even when you build something with intention, revenue, and community, survival is not guaranteed, at least not without deep-pocketed allies who understand both the moral imperative and the market opportunity in protecting this space. Let me say this louder: Black-owned beauty brands aren't just for Black folks. And even when melanin-rich skin or textured hair is centred, there is still undeniable magic. The potential to scale is not a liability—it's an untapped goldmine. I'm not just calling for charitable donations or feel-good optics. I'm calling for strategic investments. And maybe even for seats on your boards for people like me—those of us who've built careers testing your products (and all your competitors), telling your stories, and turning casual browsers into lifelong consumers. We may not have actual MBAs, but we have MBAs in beauty. We are your brand whisperers, your trend forecasters, your cultural compasses. The question is, will you listen? I fully understand there are countless layers and valid nuances that make my DEI dreams harder than ever to realise. But right now, I'm writing to you as a devoted beauty storyteller whose professional purpose — and passion — is to help move this industry in the right direction. So, I will continue to dream of a world where I have the capital to be the one writing ginormous checks. But since I don't (yet), I will continue to use my voice to push those who do. Because Black and brown beauty deserves more than a moment. It deserves momentum— real and everlasting. This isn't about calling you out — I'm lovingly calling you in. Let this not be another eulogy. Let this be a turning point. With urgency, hope, and light, Julee Wilson Julee Wilson is Beauty Editor at Large at Cosmopolitan. Previously, Julee was Beauty Director at Cosmo and Global Beauty Director at Essence and has held various editorial positions at Huffington Post and Real Simple. She counts herself lucky AF that she gets to play with beauty products for a living and tell dope stories. And if you're as obsessed with beauty as she is, make sure to follow her on Instagram for plenty of product recs, natural hair inspo, skincare testing, and Black girl magic shenanigans.
Cosmopolitan
6 days ago
- Business
- Cosmopolitan
An Open Letter to the Beauty Industry: Don't Let Another Black-Owned Brand Disappear
Dear Beauty Industry, I'm exhausted. Tired in a bone-deep, soul-sapped, can't-believe-we're-here-again kind of way. I almost didn't write this letter because it feels like déjà vu wrapped in heartbreak. The news that Ami Colé, one of the most beloved Black-owned beauty brands, is shuttering after a wildly successful four-year run is as devastating as it is familiar. We know the stats. They're damning. Less than 0.1 percent of venture capital funding goes to Black women entrepreneurs. That's not just a missed opportunity—it's an intentional failure of imagination, investment, and equity. I've dedicated my career to celebrating, uplifting, and advocating for diversity and inclusion in beauty. And yet, most days, it feels like I'm preaching to the choir or screaming into the void. I've used every platform I've been blessed to hold—my voice, my bylines, my seat at the proverbial (and sometimes literal) table—to spotlight the undeniable brilliance of Black-owned brands. And still, I watch them disappear one by one. So now, I'm talking to you: the billion-dollar conglomerates and investors with deep pockets. The legacy houses and corporate giants with the power and purse strings to change the narrative. Yes, I'm talking to you, L'Oréal Groupe, Estée Lauder Companies Inc., Unilever Global, Proctor & Gamble, City Inc., Shiseido Company, e.l.f. Beauty Inc., and all the rest. You with the billion-dollar budgets who know how to write the checks that shift culture and make us all feel oh-so-beautiful. You who made room for Rhode, Drunk Elephant, OUAI, and Hourglass Cosmetics, to name a few (and no shade—those were solid plays). So, let's not pretend the bank accounts are suddenly empty when it comes to funding Black-owned brilliance. There is money. There is infrastructure. There is a proven formula. So, where's the disconnect when it comes to investing in brands that speak deeply, authentically, and powerfully to communities of color? Ami Colé did that—and then some. This wasn't an underdog story waiting to be fixed. This was a brand that had already done the damn thing. Over $3 million raised. On shelves in 600+ Sephora stores. Media acclaim. Award-winning products. Loved by the likes of Oprah and Martha Stewart. A founder (Diarrha N'Diaye-Mbaye) who formally worked at L'Oreal and in product development at Glossier. Viral moments. Cult-status glosses. A community that showed up, showed out, and bought in. The consumers did their part. So, why wasn't that enough? I'm devastated not just for the brand but for what this signals to Black founders everywhere: That even when you build something with intention, revenue, and community, survival is not guaranteed, at least not without deep-pocketed allies who understand both the moral imperative and the market opportunity in protecting this space. Let me say this louder: Black-owned beauty brands aren't just for Black folks. And even when melanin-rich skin or textured hair is centered, there is still undeniable magic. The potential to scale is not a liability—it's an untapped goldmine. I'm not just calling for charitable donations or feel-good optics. I'm calling for strategic investments. And maybe even for seats on your boards for people like me—those of us who've built careers testing your products (and all your competitors), telling your stories, and turning casual browsers into lifelong consumers. We may not have actual MBAs, but we have MBAs in beauty. We are your brand whisperers, your trend forecasters, your cultural compasses. The question is, will you listen? I fully understand there are countless layers and valid nuances that make my DEI dreams harder than ever to realize. But right now, I'm writing to you as a devoted beauty storyteller whose professional purpose—and passion—is to help move this industry in the right direction. So, I will continue to dream of a world where I have the capital to be the one writing ginormous checks. But since I don't (yet), I will continue to use my voice to push those who do. Because Black and brown beauty deserves more than a moment. It deserves momentum—real and everlasting. This isn't about calling you out—I'm lovingly calling you in. Let this not be another eulogy. Let this be a turning point. With urgency, hope, and light, Julee Wilson Julee Wilson is Beauty Editor at Large at Cosmopolitan. Previously, Julee was Beauty Director at Cosmo and Global Beauty Director at Essence and has held various editorial positions at Huffington Post and Real Simple. She counts herself lucky AF that she gets to play with beauty products for a living and tell dope stories. And if you're as obsessed with beauty as she is, make sure to follow her on Instagram for plenty of product recs, natural hair inspo, skincare testing, and Black girl magic shenanigans.
