Windows were damaged. The business was disrupted. And owner Stephanie Hart was left to deal with another challenge that no small business owner should have to face.

I have been a supporter, helper and friend of Brown Sugar Bakery for a long time. So this one hit close to home.

Brown Sugar Bakery is located at 328 E. 75th Street on Chicago’s South Side. For more than 20 years, Stephanie has served up some of the best cakes and Southern style desserts in the city.

But Brown Sugar Bakery is more than cakes.

It represents Black entrepreneurship. Black excellence. Neighborhood pride. And the courage it takes to build something and keep it going.

A burglary can hurt a small business in many ways. There is the physical damage. But there is also lost time, interrupted business and unexpected expenses. Then there is the stress that comes with knowing someone violated a place you worked so hard to build.

But this story is bigger than what was damaged.

It is about what happened next.

During a recent interview, Stephanie shared some advice made popular by Fred Rogers.

“When bad things happen, look for the helpers.”

And the helpers showed up.

Neighbors came by to check on her. Pastors called with prayers and encouraging words. Customers reached out and offered their support.

People wanted Stephanie to know that she was not alone.

“It tells me we have a great neighborhood,” she said.

And she is right.

We often hear bad stories about Chicago’s South Side. But we do not always hear enough about the people who show up. The people who care. The people who pray. The people who support businesses when they need it the most.

That is community.

Brown Sugar Bakery has served Chicago for years. Now, the community is showing Brown Sugar Bakery the same love.

This is not just a story about a burglary.

It is a story about resilience.

It is about neighbors helping neighbors.

It is about a Black woman entrepreneur refusing to let a difficult moment stop her.

And it is about a community reminding her that she does not have to rebuild alone.

I have stood with Stephanie and Brown Sugar Bakery for a long time. I am still standing with them now.

When bad things happen, look for the helpers.

In this case, the helpers were already right there in the neighborhood.

CHICAGO—A popular South Side restaurant has opened the doors to a brand-new home.

Koto Hibachi celebrated the grand opening of its new location at Marshfield Plaza, 11710 S. Marshfield Ave., on Friday, July 31. The move marks another important milestone for the growing restaurant and its loyal customer base.

Known for its flavorful hibachi-style dishes, Koto Hibachi has built a strong following among South Side food lovers. Its move to Marshfield Plaza provides the business with an opportunity to reach new customers while continuing to serve those who helped build the brand.

For a local restaurant, moving into a new location means more than simply changing addresses. It can represent growth, perseverance and a deeper investment in the community.

Restaurants and other small businesses play an important role in strengthening neighborhood commercial corridors. They create jobs, generate foot traffic and help surrounding businesses thrive. They also serve as gathering places where families, friends and neighbors can share good food and fellowship.

Koto Hibachi’s expansion comes at a time when Black and locally owned restaurants continue to face rising food costs, staffing challenges and other economic pressures. That makes community support especially important—not only during a grand opening, but long after the balloons and ribbon-cutting ceremonies are over.

The grand opening gave longtime supporters and first-time visitors an opportunity to experience the new space, enjoy their favorite hibachi dishes and celebrate the restaurant’s next chapter.

Koto Hibachi is now open at Marshfield Plaza, 11710 S. Marshfield Ave., Chicago, IL 60643. South Side residents are encouraged to stop in, support the business and welcome it to its new home.

Since opening its doors in 2023, the Chicago bakery has become known not only for its signature cakes but also for the dedicated customers who regularly line up to secure a sweet treat before supplies run out. Over the past three years, demand has remained consistently high, with many visitors making Pookie Crack Cakes a regular stop for birthdays, holidays, weddings, and everyday celebrations.

Located at 105 E. 47th Street in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood, the bakery has developed a reputation that extends far beyond the city limits. What started as a local dessert destination has attracted visitors from across the region and even travelers from outside Illinois who seek out the bakery’s popular offerings. Its growing visibility has helped establish Pookie Crack Cakes as one of the city’s notable small-business success stories.

The milestone reflects a journey that began with owner Dedra Simmons’ passion for baking. Before opening a storefront, Simmons built a following by selling cakes and sharing her creations with family, friends, and supporters. As demand increased, the business expanded into a brick-and-mortar location, allowing more customers to experience the cakes that had already developed a loyal fan base.

Over the years, Pookie Crack Cakes has become more than a bakery for many customers. The business has cultivated a welcoming atmosphere that encourages repeat visits and strong word-of-mouth recommendations. Supporters frequently share their experiences online, helping introduce new customers to the brand and contributing to its continued growth.

Small businesses often face significant challenges during their first few years of operation, making the three-year milestone particularly meaningful. Industry data consistently shows that many new businesses struggle to survive beyond their early years, yet Pookie Crack Cakes has continued to expand its reach while maintaining the customer enthusiasm that helped launch the company.

As the bakery enters its fourth year, the achievement highlights the impact of community support on local entrepreneurship. For Pookie Crack Cakes, three years in business represents more than longevity—it reflects the trust, loyalty, and enthusiasm of customers who have helped transform a baking dream into a thriving neighborhood institution.

With its devoted following and growing reputation, Pookie Crack Cakes appears poised to continue serving Chicago-area dessert lovers for years to come.

This week, Wilson celebrated 10 years of Kisha’s Kitchen, a soul food restaurant known for serving comfort food inspired by family traditions and home-style cooking. Over the years, the business has grown into a recognizable name among Chicago diners seeking Southern favorites, catering services, and a welcoming atmosphere that feels like home.

Located on Chicago’s South Side, Kisha’s Kitchen has become more than just a restaurant. For many customers, it has served as a gathering place where food and community come together. The business currently operates at 857 W. 115th Street in Chicago, offering a menu that includes classics such as fried chicken, catfish, salmon, banana pudding, and other soul food favorites.

Wilson’s milestone comes during a period that she described as both challenging and rewarding. Despite dealing with a broken foot, she chose to focus on the significance of the occasion and the people who helped make it possible. The celebration reflects years of dedication, long hours, and the determination required to sustain an independent restaurant through changing economic conditions, industry challenges, and evolving customer expectations.

The journey also highlights the importance of community support in the restaurant industry. Independent eateries often rely on loyal customers who return year after year, helping businesses weather difficult periods and continue serving their neighborhoods. Wilson credits that support as a key factor in Kisha’s Kitchen reaching its 10th year.

The accomplishment places Kisha’s Kitchen among a select group of small restaurants that have successfully navigated a decade in a highly competitive industry. For many entrepreneurs, longevity is often viewed as one of the clearest indicators of a business’s impact and relevance within its community.

As Wilson looks ahead, the focus remains on continuing the work that brought the restaurant to this milestone—serving quality food, strengthening community connections, and building on the foundation established over the past decade.

For customers who have followed the journey from the beginning, the anniversary is not only a celebration of a restaurant but also of the relationships, memories, and shared experiences that have defined Kisha’s Kitchen over the last 10 years.

The announcement came through a social media video from Chef Marissa Terry, founder of HerBachi, who gave followers a sneak peek of the new space. In the video, Terry excitedly revealed that the restaurant is adding approximately 40 seats and creating a relaxed dining environment where guests can gather, enjoy their food, and spend time together. While only a small portion of the space was shown, the preview generated immediate excitement among customers eager to see the finished product.

For years, HerBachi has built its reputation on flavorful Asian fusion dishes that blend influences from Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Thai cuisines. Located at 522 E. 79th Street in Chicago’s Chatham neighborhood, the restaurant has become a popular destination for residents seeking chef-crafted meals with a distinct South Side identity. Chef Terry, a Chicago native, founded the concept with a commitment to serving great food while investing in the community that helped shape her.

The addition of a dining room represents more than just extra seating. It signals another step in HerBachi’s evolution from a beloved takeout destination into a full dining experience. Customers who previously grabbed their meals to go will soon have the opportunity to stay, connect with friends and family, and enjoy the atmosphere created by the restaurant team.

Restaurant expansions can be especially meaningful in neighborhood business districts, serving as visible signs of growth and community support. HerBachi’s continued investment in its physical space reflects the strong demand the restaurant has earned through consistent service, quality food, and deep local roots.

While an official opening date has not yet been announced, Chef Terry indicated that the dining room could be ready within the coming weeks. Until then, customers can look forward to what promises to be a new chapter for one of Chatham’s standout culinary destinations.

For longtime fans and first-time visitors alike, the message from HerBachi is clear: the food people love isn’t changing—but soon there will be a new place to sit down, relax, and enjoy it together.

The company recently broke ground on its new home at 657 E. 75th St., transforming a long-vacant building into a food manufacturing center that will also feature grab-and-go service and technology-driven ordering. The project marks a significant milestone for founder Nikkita Randle, whose handcrafted, scratch-made egg rolls have grown from a local favorite into a product found on grocery shelves across Chicago.

Unlike a traditional restaurant expansion, the new facility is designed to serve multiple purposes. It will house Twisted Egg Roll’s manufacturing operation, support its growing catering business, fulfill online orders shipped nationwide, and offer customers a convenient grab-and-go experience.

Guests will be able to order through self-service kiosks or a mobile app before picking up their food at a walk-up window, creating a faster, more convenient experience while allowing the company to increase production capacity behind the scenes.

The expansion reflects how many successful food entrepreneurs are rethinking the traditional restaurant model. Rather than relying solely on dine-in service, Twisted Egg Roll is investing in manufacturing, retail distribution, catering, e-commerce, and technology to build a more scalable business.

That strategy is already paying dividends.

The company’s frozen egg rolls are now sold in nine Chicagoland Foxtrot Market locations, with plans to expand to all of the retailer’s Chicago stores. Twisted Egg Roll has also launched a retail test at Green Grocer, where customers can purchase the brand’s full line of signature flavors.

According to Randle, professional branding and premium packaging played a pivotal role in securing retail partnerships. The packaging includes nutritional information, preparation instructions, and a polished presentation that aligns with gourmet grocery retailers. In one instance, the branding was compelling enough to earn placement before buyers even sampled the product.

Today, Twisted Egg Roll’s products have become top-performing sellers at new retail locations, demonstrating growing consumer demand for convenient, chef-inspired frozen meals.

The company’s signature flavors include its original Cheesesteak Egg Roll, Buffalo Chicken Egg Roll, and Veggie Southwestern Egg Roll. Sold frozen, the products are designed to deliver restaurant-quality flavor at home, with air fryer instructions that allow customers to prepare them in about 15 minutes.

Beyond retail, Twisted Egg Roll continues to grow its direct-to-consumer business, shipping frozen products throughout the continental United States using insulated packaging and dry ice to maintain freshness. The company also continues to expand its catering operation, serving private events, corporate functions, and community gatherings.

The redevelopment of 657 E. 75th St. also represents an investment in the neighborhood itself. By repurposing an existing vacant commercial property instead of building from the ground up, the project brings new economic activity to the 75th Street corridor while creating additional opportunities for jobs and business growth.

For Randle, the new facility represents more than a larger kitchen. It signals the evolution of Twisted Egg Roll from a popular local food business into a diversified food brand with ambitions that extend well beyond Chicago.

As construction continues, the company is building more than a manufacturing hub. It is creating the infrastructure needed to support continued retail expansion, strengthen its national reach, and establish Twisted Egg Roll as one of Chicago’s emerging food brands.

Presented by the Quad Communities Development Corporation, Bronzeville Summer Nights celebrates the “Three Cs”: Commerce, Community and Culture. It is more than an event series. It is a neighborhood stroll, a cultural showcase and a direct invitation to support the shops, restaurants, entrepreneurs and creative spaces that make Bronzeville one of Chicago’s most important communities.

The series kicks off Friday, July 10, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. along the Cottage Grove corridor, from 43rd Street to 45th Street.

This year’s Cottage Grove kickoff will bring the sounds of the corridor to life with a live performance from violinist @djviolin1, along with a lineup of DJs including DJ Reggie Reg, DJ Marco, DJ John Young and DJ BLK Soldier.The evening will be hosted by Dana Divine, adding even more energy to a night designed to move people through the corridor and into local businesses.

The featured July 10 lineup includes:

Host: Dana Divine, @msdanadivine
Violinist: @djviolin1
DJ Reggie Reg: @djriegiregg948
DJ Marco: @dj_marco
DJ John Young: @djjohnyoung
DJ BLK Soldier: @goblksoldier

Guests can also get into the mood before the event with the official BSN 2026 playlist, curated by DJ Marco and available through the Shop Local Bronzeville blog. Because apparently even our pre-game needs a soundtrack now. Respectfully, it does.

The full 2026 Bronzeville Summer Nights schedule includes:

July 10 | 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Focus Corridor: Cottage Grove, from 43rd Street to 45th Street

August 14 | 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Focus Corridor: 43rd Street, from King Drive to Ellis Avenue

September 26 | 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
The Saturday Fall Finale
Focus Corridor: 47th Street, from Wabash Avenue to Cottage Grove

Throughout the series, visitors can expect curated products, exclusive in-store experiences, live music, DJs, performance art and a safe, walkable environment where residents and visitors can connect with local entrepreneurs.

But the deeper purpose is bigger than a summer outing.

Bronzeville Summer Nights reminds us that community commerce is cultural preservation. Every purchase, every meal, every visit to a shop, every conversation with a business owner helps strengthen the local economy and keep Bronzeville’s corridors active, visible and alive.

Bronzeville has always been more than a neighborhood. It is a landmark of Black history, creativity, enterprise and resilience. This event series gives people a chance to experience that legacy in real time.

Admission is free and open to the public.

RSVP at ShopLocalBronzeville.com/BSN.

For updates, follow @qcdcbronzeville and @bvillenights on Instagram.

Bronzeville Summer Nights 2026 is powered by the Quad Communities Development Corporation.

Come for the music. Stay for the shops. Support the restaurants. Meet the neighbors. Experience the culture.

This summer, Bronzeville is open for business.

Located just blocks from Obama Presidential Center, Doughboy’s enters Woodlawn at a time when new investment and renewed attention are reshaping the South Side. But while the neighborhood continues to evolve, Doughboy’s is focused on providing something timeless: quality food, local pride, and a welcoming gathering place for residents.

At the center of the menu is the restaurant’s signature dish, SpagheDough, a creation that has helped build the brand’s reputation and sparked curiosity among food lovers across Chicago. The restaurant also offers a variety of customer favorites, including wings, catfish, fresh salads, and Judy Juice, providing options that appeal to a wide range of tastes. The owner describes the restaurant as more than a place to grab a meal. Their vision is to create an experience rooted in community, culture, and connection. The opening arrives during a period of increasing entrepreneurial activity throughout Woodlawn.

As new developments continue to attract residents, visitors, and investment to the area, local businesses like Doughboy’s are helping ensure that neighborhood growth also includes opportunities for homegrown brands and community-focused entrepreneurs. For residents, the restaurant offers a new destination to gather, dine, and support a locally owned business. For visitors exploring the South Side, Doughboy’s provides another reason to discover the vibrant food culture that has long defined Chicago’s neighborhoods beyond the downtown core.

Now open daily from noon until 8 p.m., Doughboy’s is inviting customers to experience its menu and atmosphere firsthand. Whether guests arrive for the famous SpagheDough, a basket of wings, or simply to support a new neighborhood business, the message from the team is clear: Woodlawn has something new to celebrate. As the neighborhood prepares for its next phase of growth, Doughboy’s is positioning itself not just as a restaurant, but as a proud contributor to the community’s future—one plate at a time.

For more information about Doughboy’s and other Black owned restaurants, visit www.blackchicagoeats.com

The recurring event combines live stand-up comedy, food, drinks, and social energy in one of the city’s most scenic dining destinations. According to promotional materials, the series features a rotating lineup of comedians and entertainers, offering guests an opportunity to enjoy laughs alongside dinner and cocktails in a relaxed, intimate setting.

Follow host comedian Dawn B (Dawnbfunny) on IG for upcoming show info. The event begins at 8 p.m. and invites attendees to “enjoy laughs, dinner and vibes” while experiencing the unique atmosphere of South Shore’s lakefront community.

The partnership reflects the growing influence of Moor’s Brewing Company, one of the nation’s few Black-owned breweries. Founded in 2021, the company has expanded rapidly throughout the Midwest and beyond, earning recognition for both its craft beer offerings and its commitment to creating culturally driven experiences. The brewery recently established a permanent Chicago home through a collaboration that has further elevated its visibility in the city’s hospitality scene.

Meanwhile, Nafsi has emerged as a destination for elevated Southern-inspired dining on Chicago’s South Side. Located inside the historic South Shore Cultural Center, the restaurant offers a menu that blends comfort food classics with contemporary flavors, while its lakefront setting provides one of the city’s most distinctive dining backdrops.

The Tiny Stage Comedy Series highlights a broader trend among local hospitality businesses: creating experiences that go beyond food and drinks. By pairing live entertainment with dining, organizers are building a space where guests can connect, celebrate local talent, and support Black-owned businesses in a welcoming environment.

For residents looking for a midweek outing, the series offers an alternative to traditional nightlife, bringing together comedy fans, food lovers, and community supporters under one roof. With new performers expected each week, the event aims to keep audiences returning for fresh laughs and memorable evenings.

The Tiny Stage Comedy Series takes place every Tuesday at Nafsi, located at 7059 S. South Shore Drive in Chicago’s South Shore neighborhood. Reservations are encouraged for guests planning to enjoy dinner before the show.

To celebrate the milestone, 14 Parish will host its biggest Havana Nights event yet on July 19, transforming the restaurant into a Caribbean-inspired celebration of food, music, and culture.

Located at 1644 E. 53rd Street in Hyde Park, 14 Parish has spent the last decade introducing guests to Caribbean-inspired cuisine while building a reputation as a premier destination for rhum enthusiasts. The restaurant features more than 100 varieties of rhums, rums, and rons, making it one of the most distinctive beverage programs in Chicago.

The anniversary celebration will showcase many of the elements that helped define the restaurant’s success. Guests can expect a curated Caribbean menu, signature cocktails crafted from the venue’s extensive rhum collection, and music from DJ Sean Mac, who will provide an island-inspired soundtrack throughout the evening.

For Fields, the anniversary represents more than just a business milestone. Over the years, 14 Parish has become a gathering place for residents and visitors seeking an elevated Caribbean dining experience on Chicago’s South Side. As a Black-owned and woman-owned business, the restaurant has also become part of Hyde Park’s evolving culinary landscape, helping demonstrate the demand for culturally inspired dining experiences within the community.

The journey from startup dream to neighborhood institution has not been without challenges. Fields previously shared that the business was built through years of persistence, long hours, and community support. That support became especially important during difficult periods, including the pandemic, when loyal customers helped sustain the restaurant.

Now, as 14 Parish celebrates its tenth anniversary, the focus remains on the same ingredients that fueled its beginning: Caribbean culture, hospitality, and connection. Havana Nights 10 offers guests an opportunity to reflect on the restaurant’s journey while raising a glass to its future.

Reservations for the July 19 celebration are available through OpenTable.

Chicago’s food scene is opening more than doors—it’s opening jobs across the city and nearby suburbs. From beachfront hotspots to neighborhood favorites, several restaurants are actively hiring, signaling a strong push as the busy season ramps up.

Here’s a quick roundup of who’s hiring right now:

Soule Chicago

This well-loved spot is currently hiring part-time line cooks and bartenders. It’s a solid opportunity for those looking to gain experience or pick up flexible hours in a fast-paced kitchen and bar environment.

The Dock at Montrose Beach

With summer around the corner, they’re staffing up in a big way—all positions are open.

Hiring Event: April 8 | 11 a.m.–2 p.m.
Location: Lizzie McNeill’s, 400 N. McClurg Ct., Chicago

This is a strong fit for anyone wanting to work in a high-energy, seasonal lakeside setting.

Taylor’s Chicago

Taylor’s Chicago is now hiring a taquero with two or more years of kitchen experience.

Bilingual (Spanish/English) candidates are preferred, and strong availability is ideal. This role is best suited for experienced cooks ready to bring authentic flavor and consistency to the kitchen.

Shawn Michelle’s Homemade Ice Cream

Also joining the hiring wave with a recent hiring fair, Shawn Michelle’s is offering multiple roles, including:

• Artisan Experience Specialist

• Hospitality and Guest Experience roles

• Pastry and confectionery positions

Perks include flexible hours, competitive pay and incentives—making it appealing for both newcomers and experienced hospitality workers.

The Rhoyal Bistro Live

The Rhoyal Bistro Live is now hiring for multiple roles, including:

• Restaurant manager

• Line cooks and prep cooks

• Hostess and barback

• Maintenance/cleaner

Open Interviews: April 8 | 3–6 p.m.
Location: 2352 172nd St., Lansing, IL

Applicants must have experience, and availability for nights and weekends is required.

The Park Bar & Grill

Another South Side opportunity is opening up at The Park Bar & Grill, which is hiring for multiple front- and back-of-house roles.

The restaurant is currently seeking bartenders, bussers, servers, hosts/hostesses and expeditors.

Location: 65 E. Garfield Blvd., Chicago
Apply: Send resumes to info@theparkbargrill.com

For job seekers looking to plug into a polished hospitality setting in the city, this is one to watch.

Provaré Restaurants

Provaré Restaurants is also expanding its team, with hiring underway in both Chicago and Houston.

The company is currently seeking experienced servers and hostesses. According to its hiring post, candidates are being accepted daily, with interview slots scheduled directly.

Locations: Provaré Chicago and Provaré Houston
Apply: Send resumes to Careers@provarestaurants.com

This may be a strong opportunity for hospitality workers looking to join a growing brand with multi-city momentum.

The Bottom Line

Across Chicago, restaurants and food businesses are actively building their teams—whether for seasonal demand or long-term growth. For job seekers, this is a strong moment to tap into the industry, with opportunities ranging from entry-level to specialized roles.

Whether you’re looking for your first hospitality job, a second stream of income or your next move in food service, the city’s restaurant scene is making one thing clear: they’re hiring.

If you’ve been thinking about stepping into the food scene, this might be your moment.

At the center of it is Stephanie Hart, founder and CEO of Brown Sugar Bakery, who did not follow the typical script of culinary entrepreneurship.

“I didn’t grow up baking,” Hart said in an interview with ABC7 Chicago. “I started baking in my 40s.” She added candidly that her early attempts “were not good” said told ABC7 Chicago in 2025.

That distinction matters.

Because in Chicago’s Black food tradition, especially on the South Side, success has often come not from formal credentials but from the ability to translate lived experience into something people recognize immediately. Hart built a business rooted in Southern baking traditions, cakes layered with caramel, desserts that echo family kitchens across generations, but she approached it with a level of operational discipline that allowed it to grow beyond a neighborhood favorite.

Located on East 75th Street, Brown Sugar Bakery sits along a corridor that has long served as a hub for Black-owned businesses. Within blocks are institutions like Lem’s Bar-B-Q and Soul Vegetarian, creating a commercial ecosystem where food, culture, and community intersect.

Customers don’t simply come for dessert. They come for occasions.

Birthdays, repasts, graduations, holidays—moments that require something sweet but also something meaningful. In that way, the bakery operates as a cultural anchor, providing not just products but participation in the rituals of everyday Black life in Chicago.

Hart has consistently emphasized the emotional connection behind her work. In interviews and public appearances, she has explained that her desserts are designed to evoke memories of family, comfort, and home.

It’s easy to dismiss that as sentiment, but in practice, it has been a business strategy. By aligning her products with emotional experience, she created a brand that extends beyond transactions.

Still, sentiment alone does not scale.

What separates Brown Sugar Bakery from many neighborhood bakeries is its expansion beyond the storefront. Hart positioned the business to reach customers outside of Chicago through shipping and online ordering, turning a local brand into one with national visibility.

The most significant shift came in 2020, when Hart acquired the historic Cupid Candies factory. The move marked a transition from a retail-focused bakery to a business with increased production capacity and broader distribution potential.

Hart has spoken about this growth in terms of long-term vision, expressing a desire to expand the brand beyond Chicago and build broader recognition for her business.

In a city where Black businesses have often been confined to retail margins, Hart’s expansion into production signaled a different kind of ambition.

Recognition followed. Hart was named a semifinalist for the James Beard Foundation’s Outstanding Baker award in 2019, placing her work in national conversation.

There is also a quieter truth in Hart’s story that challenges common narratives about entrepreneurship.

Her journey reflects iteration, not instant mastery. In multiple interviews, Hart has emphasized the importance of learning through failure and continuing to improve over time.

Today, Brown Sugar Bakery stands as one of Chicago’s most recognized Black-owned dessert brands, balancing cultural authenticity with business growth. It remains a neighborhood institution while operating with a broader vision of scale.

In the context of Chicago’s Black culinary history, Hart’s work represents a continuation of a long tradition—one where food businesses serve not only as places of commerce, but as spaces of memory, identity, and economic possibility.

And like many of the city’s most enduring institutions, it began with something simple.

A recipe, a kitchen, and the decision to build something that would last.

Owners say the mounting pressure of rising labor costs, inflation and shifting wage laws is forcing difficult decisions that could reshape the landscape of neighborhood dining, particularly in historically Black communities where restaurants double as cultural hubs and economic lifelines.

“These are not just businesses. These are institutions in our community,” one operator shared, noting that many establishments already operate on razor-thin margins. “If we can’t sustain the model, we risk losing more than restaurants—we lose jobs, gathering spaces and ownership.”

The concern took center stage at City Hall, where Chicago’s hospitality community gathered to weigh in on the city’s ongoing phase-out of the tip credit, a policy set to fully eliminate the subminimum wage for tipped workers by 2028.

Servers, back-of-house staff and operators offered emotional testimony, grounding the policy discussion in lived experience.

“People need to understand—this impacts how we live,” said one server. “It’s not just about wages on paper. It’s about whether restaurants can keep staff, keep hours and keep their doors open.”

The tip credit has long allowed employers to pay a lower base wage, with tips making up the difference to meet minimum wage requirements. Supporters of the phase-out argue that eliminating the credit ensures more predictable earnings. Critics, however, warn it may unintentionally reduce take-home pay by prompting higher menu prices, fewer shifts and changes to tipping culture.

Black restaurant owners, in particular, say the policy shift could have disproportionate consequences. Many operate independently without the financial cushion of large restaurant groups, making them more vulnerable to sudden increases in labor costs.

Black-owned businesses that have historically served as pillars of community stability and mentorship , these establishments often employ local residents, support youth and reinvest dollars back into neighborhoods that have long faced disinvestment.

“We hire from the community, we train from the community,” one owner explained. “When policies hit us, they hit the whole neighborhood.”

Advocates are now calling for a pause or freeze on the phase-out, arguing that the industry needs time to adjust without triggering further closures or layoffs.

The debate is unfolding alongside new federal developments affecting tipped workers. Recent legislation for 2025 through 2028 introduces a federal income tax deduction of up to $25,000 on tips, though it applies only to voluntary tips and requires detailed reporting. Illinois, however, has opted out of these deductions at the state level, meaning workers will continue to pay full state taxes on tip income.

At the same time, federal labor rules strictly prohibit employers and managers from keeping any portion of employee tips and allow broader tip pooling—including back-of-house workers—only if full minimum wage is paid without a tip credit.

These overlapping policies have created confusion and concern among workers and owners alike.

“This is bigger than one ordinance,” a hospitality advocate said. “It’s a layered system—wages, taxes, labor rules—and when one piece shifts, everything else moves with it.”

For many Black workers, who are heavily represented in both front- and back-of-house roles, the implications are equally serious. Fewer shifts, reduced staffing or restaurant closures could shrink one of the city’s most accessible pathways to income and entrepreneurship.

Still, supporters of the phase-out maintain that a higher guaranteed wage is necessary to protect workers from instability and wage theft.

As City Council continues to grapple with the issue—and amid reports of potential efforts to revisit or freeze the timeline—the divide remains sharp.

But for those on the ground, particularly in Black communities, the urgency is unmistakable.

“We’re asking for balance,” one speaker said. “Protect the workers, yes—but don’t do it in a way that erases the very businesses that give our people opportunity.”

With the 2028 deadline approaching, the future of Chicago’s hospitality industry—and the survival of many Black-owned restaurants—hangs in the balance.

“This recipe has been in my family for generations,” Hoskins has said. “It’s more than a product—it’s part of our heritage.”

What she inherited was more than flavor. It was culinary memory, domestic labor transformed into intellectual property, and a rare example of how Black food traditions could become a scalable packaged-goods business.

Hoskins launched Michele’s Foods in 1984 under hard circumstances. According to company and biographical accounts, she was a newly divorced mother of three with little capital, no formal path into food manufacturing, and a pressing need to create income. She sold possessions, moved with her children into her mother’s home, and began producing syrup from the basement.

“I didn’t have a lot of money,” Hoskins has recalled. “But I had a recipe and I had determination.”

That starting point matters because it places Michele’s Foods within a familiar but underdocumented Black business tradition: women using the domestic sphere not as a retreat from the market, but as the place where market entry began.

What distinguished Hoskins was not only perseverance—which people love to romanticize whenever they do not have to pay the bills themselves—but commercial clarity. She did not treat the syrup as a charming local novelty. She positioned it as a branded retail product and moved quickly into distribution.

“I always knew this product belonged on grocery store shelves across America,” she has said.

Michele’s Foods says that in its founding year she secured placement with the two largest retail chains in the Chicagoland area, helping move the company from basement production into hundreds of stores. That early retail access gave her something many small food businesses never achieve: shelf presence before the brand had the resources of a national competitor.

The business expanded through a combination of family-story branding, category focus, and strategic supplier relationships. Over time, Hoskins became the first minority supplier for Denny’s and for Walmart, according to the company, and later worked with major food corporations including General Mills and Sara Lee.

Those milestones point to an important part of her business strategy. She did not rely only on direct-to-consumer loyalty or boutique identity branding. She learned how to operate inside the systems that shape national food sales: grocery chains, food-service partnerships, and major distribution channels. That is a different kind of entrepreneurship than the restaurant model more people recognize, but it is just as significant—maybe more so—because it creates recurring scale.

“You have to believe in your product and believe in yourself, even when other people don’t,” Hoskins has said.

By 2005, Eastern Illinois University reported that Michele’s Foods products were sold in more than 10,000 stores nationwide, including Super Walmart, Kroger, Super Target, Cub Foods, and Jewel. Later coverage from ABC 7 Chicago and Business Insider showed renewed attention to the brand in 2020, when the retirement of Aunt Jemima’s branding shifted public interest toward Black-owned syrup companies.

Hoskins described that moment not as an overnight breakthrough but as a long-delayed opening after decades of operating in the shadow of a dominant legacy brand. Michele’s Foods was not born from a trend cycle. It survived long enough to be discovered again by a wider public.

There is also a Chicago dimension to her story that fits squarely within a broader history of Black food entrepreneurship. Michele’s Foods emerged from the metropolitan Chicago area and built a consumer brand in a city more commonly celebrated for restaurants than packaged-goods manufacturing.

In the context of Black business history, that matters because Chicago has long been a place where Black migrants, workers, church communities, and local entrepreneurs transformed Southern foodways into urban commercial systems. Hoskins represents a later phase of that tradition: not the lunch counter, barbecue pit, or bakery alone, but the move into nationally distributed grocery products.

In that sense, Michele’s Foods extends Chicago’s Black culinary legacy beyond neighborhood dining rooms and into supermarket aisles across the country.

Her leadership style, as described in company materials and interviews, combines faith, family legacy, and disciplined self-belief. The public narrative around Hoskins often returns to sacrifice: raising children, starting with minimal resources, protecting the recipe, and holding onto the company over decades.

But the more instructive lesson is her willingness to think in terms of ownership and category position.

“It’s important that we own our brands and control our stories,” Hoskins has said.

She built a product around a family inheritance, defended brand distinctiveness in a market crowded with giant competitors, and used supplier relationships to win institutional legitimacy. In practical terms, she turned a recipe into an asset, then turned the asset into distribution.

People make this sound mystical because “supply chain competence” is less cinematic than “dreams come true,” but the former is usually what pays for the latter.

Today Michele’s Foods stands as a rare Black woman-led success story in consumer packaged foods, a category where barriers to entry are high and shelf survival is brutal. The company sells syrups, pancake mixes, waffle mixes, and related breakfast products, with national retail availability and online sales through its own site.

Hoskins’s significance lies not only in founding a business, but in proving that Black culinary heritage could be branded, manufactured, and distributed at scale without being detached from its historical roots.

Why This Entrepreneur Is a Pioneer

Michele Hoskins is a pioneer because she transformed a multigenerational family recipe into a nationally distributed food brand and did so in a sector where Black women have historically had limited access to capital, manufacturing networks, and major retail distribution.

Michele’s Foods represents more than product success. It shows how Black culinary traditions can become owned intellectual property and long-term enterprise. Her path from basement production to thousands of retail outlets illustrates the importance of persistence, supplier strategy, and brand control.

Her story broadens the narrative beyond restaurants and proves that Black food entrepreneurship also includes packaged goods, category innovation, and national shelf presence.

Key Business Facts

Industry: Consumer packaged foods / breakfast condiments and mixes
Company Founded: 1984
Location: Chicago area / South Holland, Illinois
Founder: Michele Hoskins
Signature Product: Gourmet breakfast syrups based on a family recipe; pancake and waffle mixes
Major Milestone: Became the first minority supplier for Denny’s and Walmart, according to company materials
Estimated Reach: More than 10,000 stores nationwide by 2005, according to Eastern Illinois University

Legacy and Impact

Michele Hoskins helped expand the definition of Black food entrepreneurship in Chicago. Her legacy is not rooted in a dining room or a single neighborhood storefront, but in the harder terrain of manufacturing, retail distribution, and brand endurance.

Michele’s Foods demonstrates that Black culinary history includes product ownership, category creation, and generational wealth strategy. Future entrepreneurs can learn from her insistence on controlling the story, protecting the recipe, and building distribution beyond local fame.

In a city shaped by Black migration and food innovation, Hoskins shows how a family tradition can become a scalable national business without losing its historical meaning.

Today, as new efforts—from local restaurant directories to digital platforms like Black Chicago Eats—work to connect Black food entrepreneurs with customers and markets, many of those strategies trace their roots to economic campaigns Jackson helped lead in Chicago more than half a century ago.

Through the economic arm of the Civil Rights Movement—first under Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Operation Breadbasket and later through Jackson’s Operation PUSH—the Chicago minister used consumer boycotts and negotiations in the late 1960s and 1970s to pressure major grocery chains and food companies to hire Black workers and distribute products made by Black-owned businesses.

The strategy helped expand the distribution of Black-owned food brands into major grocery chains and introduced many consumers to companies that had previously struggled to gain access to large retail markets.

Operation Breadbasket and the fight for economic access

Operation Breadbasket, founded by Dr. King as part of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and led in Chicago by Rev. Jackson, targeted corporations that profited from Black consumers but failed to hire Black workers or support Black suppliers.

Using boycotts, public pressure and negotiations, Breadbasket organizers pushed companies to sign agreements committing to employment equity and to distribute Black-made products through mainstream retail channels.

One of the most notable campaigns targeted the grocery chain A&P. After months of protests and negotiations, the company agreed to increase Black employment and expand shelf space for products made by Black-owned companies.

Among the brands that gained expanded distribution and visibility through those efforts were Joe Louis Milk, Argia B.’s Mumbo Barbecue Sauce, Grove Fresh Orange Juice and Staff of Life bread—companies that had long faced barriers in reaching major grocery distributors.

Joe Louis Milk: A symbol of economic empowerment

Perhaps the most widely recognized example was the Joe Louis Milk Company, named after legendary heavyweight boxing champion Joe Louis.

The Chicago-based dairy brand became a symbol of the Breadbasket movement’s economic goals. Activists encouraged consumers to support the product as an act of economic solidarity, arguing that the purchasing power of Black consumers could help sustain Black-owned businesses.

Through Breadbasket’s negotiations with grocery chains, the brand gained expanded distribution and visibility in Chicago-area supermarkets and became one of the movement’s most recognizable examples of economic empowerment through consumer activism.

Jackson frequently emphasized the link between economic and civil rights during those campaigns, often reminding audiences that political progress required economic power as well.

“If you respect my dollar,” Jackson said during the Breadbasket years, “you must respect my person.”

Mumbo sauce and Chicago entrepreneurship

Another beneficiary of the Breadbasket campaigns was Argia B.’s Mumbo Barbecue Sauce, created by Chicago restaurateur Argia Collins.

The sauce had long been popular in Chicago restaurants but struggled to break into large retail markets. After Breadbasket negotiations with grocery chains, distribution expanded and the product began appearing on store shelves across the city and beyond.

The success helped transform a local restaurant staple into a recognizable brand while demonstrating how economic activism could create opportunities for Black entrepreneurs.

Grove Fresh and local business growth

Breadbasket’s efforts also supported a network of Black-owned businesses connected to the movement, including Chicago beverage company Grove Fresh Orange Juice, founded by businessman Cecil Troy.

While already operating in the Chicago market, the company benefited from the broader push to open grocery distribution channels to Black suppliers.

The movement’s economic campaigns helped create opportunities for companies like Grove Fresh to compete more directly with larger national brands.

Expanding market access

Historians of Operation Breadbasket note that the movement’s negotiations with corporations helped open doors for a range of Black-owned food companies and suppliers.

Organizers viewed the appearance of Black-made products in mainstream grocery stores as evidence that coordinated consumer pressure could influence corporate behavior and create tangible economic opportunities.

Jackson’s campaigns were never limited to individual brands. Instead, they formed part of a broader strategy to build economic infrastructure within Black communities.

Breadbasket leaders argued that access to jobs, contracts and retail distribution was essential to achieving meaningful civil rights gains.

A legacy that still shapes the marketplace

In Chicago—where Rev. Jackson built many of those early economic campaigns—the idea that communities can organize their buying power still shapes the city’s food landscape. Following the recent passing of the civil rights leader whose “Keep Hope Alive” message echoed across generations, many in the city are reflecting not only on his political activism but also on the economic strategies he championed.

From neighborhood barbecue spots to family-owned bakeries and soul food kitchens, many Black restaurant owners continue navigating the same challenge Breadbasket organizers confronted decades ago: gaining visibility, distribution and consistent customer support.

Rev. Jackson often reminded audiences that civil rights victories had to be matched with economic progress. In that spirit, modern platforms and community-driven efforts—from grassroots marketing to digital directories like Black Chicago Eats—carry forward a similar mission: helping Black food businesses be seen, supported and sustained.

Today, historians often point to Operation Breadbasket as an early model of organized economic activism. The movement demonstrated that coordinated consumer pressure—paired with strategic negotiation—could reshape markets and expand opportunities for minority-owned businesses.

Whether through supermarket shelves in the 1960s or online directories and social media platforms today, the underlying principle remains the same: economic power can open doors.

For Jackson and the Breadbasket organizers, placing Black-owned products in grocery stores was never just about food.

It was about proving that economic justice could move from protest slogans to the marketplace.

And in cities like Chicago, where new generations of entrepreneurs and advocates continue that work, the strategy still echoes: if communities control their spending power, they can shape the future of their own businesses.

To mark 75 years since the late Argia B. Collins crafted the original recipe for MUMBO® SAUCE, his daughter, Allison Collins, CEO of Select Brands, has announced a partnership that blends cultural pride, legacy building, and community upliftment.

“This is such a meaningful way to celebrate our history and honor my father’s legacy,” said Ms. Collins. “He believed that entrepreneurship was a way to shape your own destiny, and this partnership embodies that spirit.”

Mr. Collins, who migrated from Mississippi to Chicago in search of better opportunities, opened his first barbecue restaurant in Bronzeville, later expanding across the South Side. Frustrated by bland, mass-produced sauces, he created his own—MUMBO® SAUCE—in 1950. Its rich, Southern-inspired flavor soon became a staple on grills and in homes across the city.

Now, through a revenue-sharing agreement, the Howard University men’s basketball team will promote MUMBO® SAUCE throughout their playing season. A percentage of each sale will be returned to The Mecca Society to support student-athletes financially, offering much-needed assistance without compromising their educational goals.

“This isn’t about making millionaires,” said Eric Grant, board treasurer of The Mecca Society. “Our athletes are students first. Many are pursuing law degrees, PhDs, and other advanced disciplines. This is about building a legacy of excellence on and off the court.”

The Mecca Society, a nonprofit collective led by Howard alumni, works to create sustainable opportunities for athletes to benefit from their name, image, and likeness (NIL). The partnership with Select Brands reflects a deeper alignment of purpose.

“Argia B’s MUMBO® SAUCE isn’t just a product—it’s a story of Black excellence and resilience,” said Mr. Grant. “Coach Kenny Blakeney swears by it. He puts it on everything—even his eggs. Me? I prefer it on grilled chicken or brisket.”

Ms. Collins emphasized the synergy of values between Select Brands and Howard University. “My father was a proud Black man who demanded the best from himself and those around him—just like the Howard Bison,” she said.

As a brand rooted in cultural legacy and community impact, MUMBO® SAUCE has grown from a local favorite to a national product, available in Original, Hickory Smoke, and Tangy Hot varieties. It remains a symbol of pride, flavor, and authenticity.

The partnership stands as a model for how Black-owned businesses and HBCUs can forge strategic alliances to support Black futures—financially, academically, and culturally.

“This collaboration would mean everything to my father,” said Ms. Collins. “He’d see it as more than marketing. He’d see it as purpose.”

About The Mecca Society
The Mecca Society is a nonprofit NIL collective founded and led by Howard University alumni. It supports the university’s scholar-athletes by helping them maximize opportunities related to their name, image, and likeness, while upholding the core values of truth and service.

About MUMBO® SAUCE
In 1950, Argia B. Collins created MUMBO® SAUCE in Chicago, inspired by flavors from his Southern roots. His barbecue restaurant became a culinary landmark, and the sauce quickly grew into a celebrated brand. By 1957, Collins had trademarked MUMBO and introduced it to retail and food service. Today, MUMBO remains a trusted name in Black culinary tradition and American food culture.

There needed to be a dedicated space to celebrate Black people’s contribution to Chicago’s culinary culture.

Not occasionally.
Not during special months.
Not as a trend, a sidebar, or a moment.

But as a living, ongoing record of the food, the businesses, and the people who have shaped—and continue to shape—Chicago every day.

Chicago’s food story is incomplete without Black chefs, restaurateurs, bakers, pitmasters, bar owners, caterers, and food entrepreneurs. That contribution deserved more than fleeting attention. It deserved consistency.

Black Chicago Eats is where my journalism instincts and my entrepreneur’s sense of responsibility decided to work together.

Celebration Was the Starting Point—Not the End

In the beginning, the goal was visibility.

To highlight places people loved.
To celebrate food that felt familiar, rooted, and meaningful.
To make sure Black-owned food businesses were seen.

But over time, something became clear.

As more people joined the conversation—
as more outlets, influencers, and platforms began covering Black food culture—
celebration alone wasn’t enough.

If Black Chicago Eats was truly going to honor Black food culture, the work had to be accurate, fair, and durable. It had to reflect not just what was loud in the moment, but what people actually returned to. What held up after the hype faded. What families recommended to each other without thinking twice.

That’s when Black Chicago Eats began to shift—from a spotlight to a system.

Food Culture Is Revealed in Patterns

Food culture doesn’t reveal itself in a single post or viral moment.
It reveals itself in patterns.

Where people go when it’s cold.
Where they take out-of-town guests.
Where they return on a random Tuesday.
Which restaurants stay open, stay steady, and stay trusted over time.

Those patterns tell a deeper story than any one review or reel ever could.

Black Chicago Eats exists to document those patterns—and reflect them back to the community with care.

Why Structure Matters

As the platform grew, so did the responsibility.

Without standards, celebration turns into noise.
Without clarity, visibility becomes transactional.
Without separation, trust erodes.

That’s why Black Chicago Eats is built with clear lines:

• Participation is not endorsement

• Accuracy is not ranking

• Visibility is not guaranteed recognition

Verification means information has been checked—not that a restaurant has been judged “best.”
Editorial recognition is earned through consistency and community trust—not bought.

These distinctions matter, especially in a landscape where pay-to-play has become normalized.

What This Platform Is—and Isn’t

Black Chicago Eats is not here to chase trends.
It’s not here to sell exposure.
And it’s not here to replace anyone’s personal taste.

It exists to:

• help people make confident decisions about where to eat

• create a reliable public record of Black-owned food businesses

• reflect what Black Chicago actually eats, supports, and sustains

The goal is not perfection.
The goal is trust.

A Commitment Going Forward

My commitment is to continue building Black Chicago Eats with:

• clear standards

• independent judgment

• respect for the culture it represents

If a restaurant is chosen, the reason will be clear.
If a place earns trust, it will surface.
And if something truly matters to the community, it will be reflected here—consistently, not occasionally.

That’s why Black Chicago Eats exists.

Not just to celebrate—but to document what lasts.

— Founder, Black Chicago Eats

A new year is an excuse to eat with intention.

Sometimes that means finally trying the place you’ve been saving on your phone. Sometimes it means going back to a favorite because you already know it won’t disappoint. In Chicago, especially in Black Chicago, food is how we mark moments—birthdays, first dates, family meetups, late nights, and “just because” days that turn into memories.

This guide is here for that.

The Black Chicago Eats New Year’s Guide isn’t about rankings or rules. It’s about helping you decide where to eat for the occasion you’re in—right now. From longtime favorites to newer spots building real buzz, these are places people are talking about, visiting, and returning to as 2026 gets underway.

It’s a citywide guide to how Chicago is really eating in 2026—what’s buzzing, what’s lasted, and where to go when the moment matters.

Inside The Black Chicago Eats New Year’s Guide 2026:

• A curated look at where Chicago is eating right now—from longtime staples to newer spots building real buzz

• Chicago classics that have stood the test of time, including West Side, South Side, and citywide institutions

• Newer Black-owned restaurants worth trying in 2026—and why people keep going back

• Everyday favorites locals rely on during the week (lunch runs, takeout nights, no-frills comfort)

• Date night, celebrations, and “let’s go somewhere nice” picks for moments that matter

• A neighborhood-driven way to eat—Bronzeville, Chatham, Hyde Park, and beyond

• Late-night and after-hours options for when cravings hit and choices get slim

• Addresses, neighborhoods, and direct links to listings so deciding where to eat is easy

Paid members get access to our full Quarterly Guides, organized by neighborhood, moment, and need—so deciding where to eat is easier, not louder.
If this guide saves you even one bad guess, it’s doing its job.

Subscribe now

Read more

We updated the previous story after receiving information right after we published it.

While these locations are not affiliated with the original Taurus Flavors legacy of Edward Perkins or the Taurus Express team, it’s important to note that they are not Arab-owned, as some earlier posts by concerned citizens suggested.

As always, we’re committed to verifying Black ownership so people can support with clarity and confidence.

In the early 2000s, I would often stop by the Taurus Flavors location on Stony Island Avenue to drop off copies of my free newspaper, Bean Soup Times. During those visits, I was blessed to sit with the late Edward Perkins, co-founder of Taurus Flavors and a pioneer of the Supreme Steak. He was generous with his time and wisdom, always speaking with deep pride about Black business and his admiration for the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad and the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan.

Mr. Perkins believed that a sandwich could be much more than a meal—it could be a means of economic freedom. He often talked about his mission to mentor young Black men into ownership and uplift through enterprise.

What many don’t know is that Taurus Flavors began as a partnership between Roosevelt McCarthy and Eddie Perkins. As clarified by McCarthy’s granddaughter, LaTosha McCarthy, “Home of the Hoagy” was a shared vision.

“Roosevelt McCarthy and Eddie Perkins both started out as business partners,” she explained. “My grandfather brought the recipe from Mr. Perkins in the 1960s. He put his own twist on the sandwiches. Years later, both men still supported one another. Always had respect for each other.”

I have personally heard Mr. Perkins say that. That mutual respect never faded. In a poetic turn, both men passed away in 2016, on the 3rd day of different months—Perkins in September, McCarthy in December. Together, they’re remembered as the founders of the iconic “Steak Sweet.”

Their legacy lived on in the form of mentorship. In 1992, Perkins gathered a group of young men from Third Baptist Church of Chicago—where he was a member—and helped establish The Young Bulls of Taurus, including Martel Pugh, Joseph Mitchell, Merrill Hooper, and Kenyatta Upchurch.

Today, only two Taurus-branded establishments are officially / unofficially recognized as carrying the torch of this legacy:

• Taurus Express, 6558 S. Western Ave, Chicago, IL — owned by “The Young Bulls”

• Taurus Flavors, 14709 S. Halsted St, Dolton, IL — owned by a Perkins family member

“The only ‘Taurus’ in Chicago blessed by the originator and 100% African American owned is Taurus Express located at 6558 S. Western,” said Pugh. “We were raised together at Third Baptist Church of Chicago and we’ve been business partners since 1992.”

But with legacy comes the responsibility of protection.

A newly opened restaurant at 9529 S. Jeffery Blvd, calling itself Taurus Steaks & Hoagies, it is Black owned.

As a Black-owned food directory and news platform, we take this seriously. We pride ourselves on helping Black foodies support authentically Black-owned businesses. These incidents remind us to vet thoroughly and tell the full story—so the community knows who and what they’re supporting.

Now, as we seek more information, we know this is about more than food. It’s about honoring a Black legacy built on trust, mentorship, and integrity. It’s about protecting what our elders passed down—with love. We appreciate what Uncle Remus did, which is lesson to all. Protect your legacy with paperwork.