LA Woman Puts Local New Spin on Black-Owned Restaurant Week

Restaurant weeks — the semi-annual discounted prix fixe meals like dine LA — are a consistent part of dining in major cities. Diners can often include great prices on multi-course lunches or dinners that could be otherwise out of reach price-wise on a regular day. The annual Black Restaurant Week is no different, but now there’s a new effort from LA resident Tiffany Hinton, who wants to support restaurants make her Black Owned Food Week a yearlong effort.

Hinton left a job in corporate America to start Black-Owned Food LA. She opened Black Owned Food LA with an Instagram and Facebook account during the same time George Floyd was killed, hoping to promote Black-owned restaurants, chefs, and other local businesses throughout Southern California. She built the following organically and started Black Owned Food LA shortly after.

“We’re gonna keep supporting these restaurants because they’re struggling,” says Jefferson. “My mission has always been to shed light on them because their stories are so different. They’re not getting financial backing, the employees are quitting. I have to make sure to support these restaurants supported,” she said.

When asked how Black-Owned Restaurant Week is different than Black Restaurant Week, Hinton believes these designated efforts can have more power if they’re local. “I live here. The other (organizations) that host Black Restaurant Week, they’re not from here. My platform has always been that I have a relationship with these owners and can send people to support them.”

Hinton started out by featuring staples like Oh My Burger, the Original Taco Pete, Poppy & Rose, Harold & Belle’s, Antidote Eats, and the Serving Spoon, before other businesses started signing on. She also found support from the entertainment community with actor/director Lena Waithe promoting Black-Owned Restaurant LA through her own social media, and Tyra Banks, who offered support and encouragement.

When it came time to expand into a restaurant week, Hinton decided on Black-Owned Restaurant Week with a prix fixe or discounted meal. There’s even options for caterers. “It doesn’t stop at restaurant week, you keep the keychain, forever show it and you keep saving with these restaurants,” says Hinton.

Participating restaurants include Bootsy BBQ, Bludso’s BBQ, Jackfruit Cafe, Ackee Bamboo, and Georgia’s. There’s a full list on the Black-Owned Restaurant site, and runs from from December 8 through 19.

• A Roundup of LA’s Black-Owned Restaurant Lists