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Krystal’s fourth South Carolina location opened in Orangeburg on Monday, Dec. 9, thanks to a partnership with Charlamagne Tha God — also known as Lenard McKelvey — and his wife, Jessica Gadsden-McKelvey. The couple are spearheading a five-store expansion of the quick-service chain across South Carolina, with the grand opening of the new Krystal location set for Dec. 20 — an event that will include Charlamagne Tha God himself, according to a press release. The new Krystal slider restaurant, located at 1486 Chestnut St., will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For the media personality and entrepreneur, the project holds personal significance. “Orangeburg is special to us because it’s the home of South Carolina State University, my mother’s alma mater, while my wife’s father is an alumni of Claflin University,” he shared ahead of the store’s opening. “I also have an honorary degree from SCSU, where I established the Ford Family Endowed Scholarship Fund, so it’s a blessing to...
A new Detroit, MI, coffee shop has opened its doors. Crain’s Detroit Business reports Charity Dean, president and CEO of the Michigan Black Business Alliance, has launched Rosa Cafe + Market at 222 Third Ave. This isn’t Dean’s first venture either — she previously opened a Rosa Cafe, named after her great-grandmother, in 2022. “We just wanted to make sure we were open for the people,” Dean explained to the outlet. “There’s been a lot of excitement about the new cafe, so we wanted to get it open.” The new 800-square-foot storefront, which is currently being stewarded by five employees, is in a luxury residential property close to the Detroit River. The Cafe will be able to seat nearly a dozen customers at once inside while more can gather in its outdoor patio. Customers can expect to sip on various coffee items including an Ethiopian house roast coffee made by Faust Haus Roasting Co. Additionally, there will also be snacks and food options available for purchase. Dean is looking...
A Morehouse School of Medicine graduate has opened a bookstore to uplift her surrounding community. According to a news release, Dr. Viola Lanier, who boasts a Master of Science in biomedical research and a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences, has launched Better Today Books & Boutique, located at 2300 Shallowford Rd., Ste. 8, Marietta, GA 30066. In a video shared on the bookstore’s Instagram page, Lanier recounts her journey to owning the storefront. It began after a spa visit, when she noticed a “For Lease” sign on the door of the location while heading home. Intrigued, she reached out to the landlord to arrange a tour. “Wasn’t too impressed about the condition, but I said, ‘You know what? This is a place.’ But I figured I could make it work, even though I was skeptical about a lot. I got it. Anyway, so we’re putting a check mark on these dreams. Y’all stick with me as you renovate,” she explained in the video. Seeing the potential, Lanier’s interest put her on the path to establishing...
Ira Salls is an inspiration for her history-making role as a McDonald’s franchisee. Salls, a Cincinnati, OH, native, graduated from Northern Illinois University and later earned both an MBA and a master’s degree in public administration from Northwestern University. She secured her franchise title in 1991, as she explained during an interview with WHAS 11 in 2021. Before becoming an owner and operator, she first worked at the fast-food chain as an accountant. “I was hired by McDonald’s because I already had a degree and (was) a CPA. McDonald’s was forward thinking, and they wanted Black CPAs working in their accounting department,” she recalled to the outlet. Salls’ pivot to owning her own McDonald’s locations led her to become the first Black woman franchisee of the chain in Kentucky and Indiana in 1991, the Louisville Business Journal reports. She would go on to become one of the company’s most successful operators, managing six locations in Louisville, KY. She also understood the...
Malcolm Jenkins is not slowing down in the fast-casual food space. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, the former NFL player leads Disrupt Foods, a multi-unit franchise developer and operator of quick-service restaurants. According to his LinkedIn, the goal is to create franchising opportunities for Black and brown communities. “If there’s a mission for me and how I’m moving now, what I want to have an impact on is really educating people on the power of group economics. People when they have success, most of the time they do it as a collective family, as a community. Owning businesses in their own communities,” he said. “When you look at [Black communities] we don’t own the majority of the businesses in it. We don’t own homes most of the time. It just continues to push us into pockets of poverty that are harder and harder to climb out of as an individual,” he told WHYY News. Leading by example, he established Disrupt Foods in 2016 alongside his business partner, Joe Johnson. “In 2016...
After hosting several pop-ups, Amanda Harth and Felton Kizer now have their own storefront. Block Club Chicago reports the pair are now proud owners of Monday Coffee, located in Chicago, IL’s North Lawndale neighborhood. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Monday Coffee (@drinkmondaycoffee) Prior to opening the storefront, the founders had been making their mark in the area through various pop-ups, including events at Soho House Chicago and the Obama Foundation, since launching the company in October 2020. The pair were creating what they believed to be a “safe space.” “Being able to be in North Lawndale and serve a community, create a safe space through art, and continuing to use coffee as a vehicle is basically the foundation of Monday Coffee,” Harth told the outlet. “It’s important for Black people, Brown people, to have a safe space to exist. With the pandemic, a lot of those spaces disappeared.” For a two-year period starting in 2021, customers could find Monday...
David “Slim” Penn Jr. has opened a cannabis shop in Pasco, WA. Penn’s journey into entrepreneurship began as a child, according to the Tri-City Herald. He would mow his neighbors’ yards and had a paper route. “I remember those 20-pound papers,” he told the outlet, embellishing the weight of newspapers in the past when they were larger and heavier. Today, that business mindset has carried over into the cannabis space. Penn is now a franchisee of Lucky Leaf Co., which is owned by his friend David Morgan, who has stores in Spokane, WA, and Pasco. Penn had previously backed Morgan when he was looking to challenge the city to allow for legal cannabis sales to adults back in 2022. The following year, a council approved removal of the ban and permitted the legal sale of cannabis, paving the way for three storefronts including Lucky Leaf Co. Now, Penn will operate his own store alongside his partner Jamie Badden, who serves as the manager of the store. To get the shop up and running, they...
Mike Tyson has invested in the plant-based food sector. According to a press release, Carma HoldCo , the parent company of cannabis brand Tyson 2.0, has made an investment in Mr. Charlie’s Told Me So (TMS), a quick-service plant-based restaurant. Co-founded by Aaron Haxton and Taylor McKinnon, the restaurant offers “Not a Hamburger” patties, Tindle-based nuggets, and “Frowny Fries,” among other menu items. Thanks to the investment, Mr. Charlie’s TMS, which already has locations in Los Angeles, CA; San Francisco, CA; and Sydney, Australia, is set to reach even more customers globally as part of the plant-based movement. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mr.Charlie’s Told Me So (@mrcharlies) Furthermore, Tyson views the investment as a prime opportunity to promote healthy alternatives, aligning perfectly with his personal values. As a longtime follower of a vegan lifestyle, he is especially excited about this venture. “Mr. Charlie’s is a natural choice for Carma Holdco, as...
Many NFL players shine on the field, but not all translate that success into thriving businesses — Zaire Franklin is making it happen. The Indianapolis Colts linebacker has teamed up with his longtime mentor, Eric Taylor, to open a Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard franchise. Taylor was coaching youth football in Philadelphia, PA, when he met a 9-year-old Franklin, and their bond quickly developed. While he acknowledges that it may sound “crazy” for an adult to have much in common with a younger person, that’s exactly what it was like when he met Franklin. “I think the basis and foundation of our relationship comes with the love of our grandmothers,” Taylor shared in an interview with AFROTECH™ . “At the time, when Zaire was a young guy, his grandmother was instrumental in his life. She was at all the football games, she was very supportive.” Taylor had a similar bond with his own grandmother, so when Franklin lost both his mother and grandmother just months apart in 2013, their...
Jessica Taylor has landed her coffee product in a new major retailer. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Taylor, a former Toyota diversity, equity, and inclusion business partner, became the founder of Ezra Coffee in 2021. The idea for the company stemmed from a soy and nut allergy developed by her sister who was also lactose intolerant. Taylor started conjuring recipes on a stove top, creating flavors that could be enjoyed without milk-based creamers. That passion and drive has now grown into an array of products sold through Ezra Coffee such as Candied Yams and Toasted Southern Pecan light roast coffee, as listed on its website. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ezra Coffee Company (@ezracoffeeco) Since launching, the company has secured placements in Target’s online store and was also stocked in more than 40 Texas-based H-E-B stores by October 2023. “This has been such a labor of love and an amazing experience, and I can truly say I could have not done this with out you...
Houston, TX, native Jennifer Ford’s passion for sneakers has led her to work with major apparel giants. Ford is currently the proud owner of Premium Goods, a sneaker boutique in Houston. The idea for opening the shop dials back to her days in New York, NY, following the completion of her economics degree from Emory University, her LinkedIn mentions. While in New York, it would spark her interests in women’s buying departments and women’s product development. However, it was not until she befriended Premium Goods-Brooklyn shop owner Clarence Nathan that Ford manifested her own sneaker boutique in 2004, located in her hometown. “It’s about being with other people who enjoy the same thing as me and [building] a community,” Ford told Vogue in 2023. With its opening in 2004, the Premium Goods Houston location reportedly became the first sneaker retail store in the United States led by a Black woman. Per Premium Goods’ website, the shop features major brands like Jordan Brand, Nike,...
Levi’s is capitalizing on its feature on Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter.” The clothing company recognized for its denim jeans was a listed track on her country album, which was released on March 29, 2024, by Parkwood Entertainment and Colombia Records and featured artists like Post Malone and Miley Cyrus. While the iron was hot, Levi’s took the opportunity to change its Instagram handle by inserting an additional I, aligned with the spelling of the song on the album, “Levii’s Jeans.” However, Kenny Mitchell, chief marketing officer at Levi Strauss & Co., believed the company could push the brand even further if they partnered with the Houston, TX-born artist. “Once that album came out, it was obviously a moment where we said, ‘Hey, maybe we can start to have some conversations about whether a deeper partnership makes sense,’” Mitchell told The New York Times. Having already planted a seed of familiarity with Beyoncé in the past, as she sported the jeans as a Destiny’s Child member and has...
Abu Dhabi’s vibrant dining scene in the United Arab Emirates is getting a taste of New York City, NY, with the opening of Brooklyn Chop House at the W Abu Dhabi—Yas Island. According to a press release shared with AFROTECH™, the iconic Asian-fusion steakhouse will make its international debut on Nov. 30, 2024, located in what is reportedly the world’s only hotel built over a Formula 1 racetrack . The new business will replace the former Indian eatery, Angar, and the Italian restaurant, Amici. “We are thrilled to bring the vibrant essence of Brooklyn Chop House to Abu Dhabi,” said founders Robert “Don Pooh” Cummins and David Thomas. “ This opening is not just about introducing our signature blend of Asian-inspired steakhouse cuisine; it’s about creating a cultural fusion that reflects New York City’s energy while embracing the UAE’s warmth and hospitality.” Brooklyn Chop House Abu Dhabi intends to provide a premium dining experience that mirrors the energy of New York City while...
Kevin Johnson’s food venture is rapidly growing. As AFROTECH™ previously told you, the former NBA player who made headlines for becoming the first Black mayor of Sacramento, CA, is the founder of a restaurant venture named Fixins Soul Kitchen. He opened the first location in that very city, which is also his hometown, in 2019, notes Eater Detroit. “I grew up in Oak Park, so that was the poor part of the city of Sacramento, and like every city around the country, it was the underserved community,” Johnson told Eater. “I wanted to do our first Fixins in that neighborhood to prove that we could be successful in the neighborhood I grew up in.” Fixins Soul Kitchen has expanded and now has four locations in the following areas: Sacramento, CA (Oak Park) Los Angeles, CA (LA Live) Tulsa, OK (Black Wall Street) Detroit, MI (Paradise Valley) View this post on Instagram A post shared by Fixins Soul Kitchen (@fixinssoulkitchen) The restaurant’s menu items were inspired by various soul food...
Restaurants and pop culture have a special relationship with Red Lobster. From the mention of its signature biscuits in songs to being one of the go-to spots for family and friends, Red Lobster has decades of impressions among millions of consumers. Now, the fast-casual restaurant has a new CEO at its helm, 35-year-old Damola Adamolekun. Adamolekun is a Nigerian native who now leads Red Lobster after a successful stint as the top executive and first Black CEO of the Asian-fusion restaurant P.F. Chang’s. According to the National Restaurant Association, Adamolekun helped generate an estimated $1 billion in revenue for the chain. This level of expertise is part of the reason the former Goldman Sachs investment banker was hired to help Red Lobster overcome its looming business performance problems. In May 2024, the seafood chain filed for bankruptcy. CNN noted that years of mismanagement, inflation, and competition led to more than $1 billion in debt and less than $30 million in cash...