New event Black Restaurant Week spotlights Black-owned restaurants in Orlando and Tampa Bay

Black Restaurant Week, which started last week and runs through Dec. 6, highlights Black-owned businesses, and for the first time, a Florida edition (Florida Black Restaurant week, FBRW) is focusing on venues across the Sunshine State — including quite a few here in Orlando.

In addition to shining a light on Florida’s Black-owned kitchens — including restaurants in Orlando, Miami and Jacksonville — FBRW co-founder Derek Robinson told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that the event also features virtual events and conferences to help Black entrepreneurs expand their businesses.

“No one else is doing it and that’s exactly what we’re doing. There hasn’t really been a voice for the Black culinary space from bartenders to caterers,” Robinson explains.

Black Restaurant Week follows federal, state and local COVID-19 rules and regulations. Delivery and/or pickup are highly recommended. You can find the complete list of restaurants participating in Florida Black Restaurant Week via blackrestaurantweeks.com. Local restaurants participating in Orlando and nearby Tampa Bay include:

Orlando

• 1000 Degrees Pizza 13599 W. Colonial Drive, Winter Garden, 407-554-3206
• Chef Shonari Services (Personal Chef) 321-460-2752
• Justin’s Caribbean Fusion Restaurant 6700 Conroy Road, Orlando, 407-866-0270
• Kalalou Caribbean Bar & Grill 5160 S. John Young Parkway, Orlando, 407-286-5539
• Loyd Have Mercy 3434 S. Washington Ave., Titusville, 321-269-1008
• Nessas Food Co. BBQ Restaurant 14 W. McKey St., Ocoee, 321-370-8172
• Plates on Deck 9640 Boggy Creek Road, Orlando, 321-245-9277
• Seana’s Caribbean Soul Food 719 Good Homes Road, Orlando, 321-800-6846
• The Conch Queen 3780 Ocoee-Apopka Road, Apopka, 321-297-3519

Tampa Bay

• 7th and Grove 1930 E. 7th Ave., Ybor City. 813-649-8422
• Ava’s Lowcountry Cuisine 112 Flagship Drive, Lutz. 813-702-3813
• COPA 1047 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. 727-623-9199
• Eggs Up Grill 3920 U.S. Highway-301 N., Riverview, 813-800-3447
• Island Flavors and Tings 1411 49th St. S., Gulfport. 727-804-1849
• Kay’s Kitchen 11124 N. 30th St., Tampa, 813-368-5196
• Loaded 1901 Drew St., Clearwater. 727-271-2200
• M&R Cafe Southern Cuisine 3322 E. Osborne Ave., Tampa. 813-234-2233
• Mr. B’s Southern Cuisine 3401 N. Nebraska Ave., Tampa. 813-221-8111
• Shnookum’s BBQ 1575 S. Fort Harrison Ave., Clearwater. 727-754-8786
• The Cookie Monster 5226 S. Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa.

A version of this story first appeared on our sister paper’s site, Creative Loafing Tampa.

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This article appears in Nov 25 – Dec 1, 2020.