The Black Restaurant Accelerator Program celebrated recently

By Skylar Stephens
Contributing Writer

The National Urban League and the PepsiCo Foundation celebrated their joint initiative, the Black Restaurant Accelerator program, on May 2.

The accelerator program provides assistance and support to Black-owned businesses across the nation. The program reached a milestone of 100 grant recipients in New Orleans, La. The grants were funded by a $10 million investment to support Black-owned restaurants. PepsiCo’s involvement was a part of their $400 million Racial Equity Journey to create opportunities for Black and Hispanic people and communities in the U.S.

“The Black Restaurant Accelerator is key to addressing some of the historical challenges and turning the tides as we seek to preserve the businesses that feed the soul of New Orleans,” said Judy Reese Morse, the president and CEO of the Urban League of Louisiana.

Because of the program, Louisiana restaurants such as Addis Nola, Beaucoup Eats, Ray’s on the Avenue, and others like them were able to grow their businesses despite the pandemic. The $10,000 grants given to these restaurants were able to save more than 60 jobs and allow for new hires. With COVID regulations still in place, these businesses were able to use the money to invest in amenities such as outdoor seating and delivery vehicles.

“While the pandemic has deepened disparities that hinder our communities, the impact of this program is a testament to the resilience we can foster when we provide the right support. And we need other members of the business community and policymakers to step up, join us and act with urgency to ensure these entrepreneurs have equitable access to critical resources,” said Marc H. Morial, the president and CEO of the National Urban League.

Even with the progress made, the BRA program still intends to help many other Black-owned businesses who are in need of support. To influence other organizations to assist in supporting these businesses, the BRA program continues to help outside of the grants. In addition to the grants given to the 100 restaurants, the BRA provided 400 additional Black-owned restaurants with resources to grow their businesses. BRA conducted 1,150 counseling and 1,185 training sessions, and approximately $1.6 million in financing and contract opportunities were provided.

“Investing to ensure Black-owned restaurants survive is critical to enabling communities to thrive,” said C.D. Glin, vice president of the PepsiCo Foundation and Global Head of Philanthropy at PepsiCo.

This article originally published in the May 16, 2022 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.