PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — We are celebrating Black History Month with a focus on Black-owned businesses.
Two Locals opens as Philadelphia’s first black-owned brewery
Richard and Mengistu Koilor made history when they opened Two Locals Brewery in University City on January 31, becoming the first Black-owned brewery in Philadelphia.
It’s been a labor of love for the brothers, who started home brewing in 2016.
Since that first batch, they have grown the operation, renting space at Mainstay Brewing and collaborating with other Philadelphia brewers.
Now, they have a space of their own with a 15-barrel system that will allow them to expand the selection of beer they offer.
Currently, they are featuring their original flavors; Nubian, a brown ale, Lofa Lager, named in honor of their father’s birthplace and “If These Walls Could Talk”, a hazy IPA they created with Wissahickon Brewing.
They partnered with Liberty Kitchen for a lunch and dinner menu.
The selections include hoagies, which is Liberty’s specialty.
The menu also has snackable dishes for sharing and family recipes like Liberian Beans and Peanut Braised Eggplant.
The Koilors prepared the dishes for Liberty Kitchen chefs so the recipes and flavors would be authentic.
Two Locals Brewing Company | Facebook | Instagram
3675 Market Street Suite 100, Philadelphia, PA 19104
Liberty Kitchen | Facebook | Instagram
WIN WIN Coffee sources coffee exclusively from the African diaspora
WIN WIN Coffee is opening a new cafe in Kensington’s Jasper House.
It’s an old hat factory turned apartment building with commercial space on the ground floor for three minority-led, women businesses.
And WIN WIN is committed to sourcing coffee exclusively from the African diaspora because there are few Black and Brown people in the coffee industry even though the crop is grown in Black and Brown countries, CEO Nikisha Bailey says.
Bailey was a record company executive before taking over WIN WIN in 2019.
Her operations head, Matt Nam, has a background in healthcare tech and believes strongly in Black ownership and building generational wealth.
The two met at a barbecue, bonded over their shared love of music and have been best friends for 13 years.
They took over WIN WIN in 2019 and after forging relationships with farmers in Tanzania, Ethiopia and The Congo, they traveled to remote mountains in Colombia to strike a deal with Afro-Colombian farmers.
When that coffee goes to market in a few months, they say it will be the first time anyone in the U.S. has tasted the beans.
They also have a Kenyan coffee coming soon.
Right now, you can buy WIN WIN coffee online and at Palm Tree Grocers.
But Bailey says they’re working with Giant for a Juneteenth release of their coffees in-store.
That’s also when they hope to open the new roastery in Kensington.
Trailblazing McDonald’s franchisee inspires while reaching new heights
When Tanya Hill-Holliday started as a part-time crew member at McDonald’s working her way through college, little did she know she would become the first African American woman to own and operate a McDonald’s in Philadelphia.
Now decades and accolades later, she is the proud owner of 12 McDonald’s restaurants, including all three on the Main Line and one in Allentown.
Hill-Holliday graduated from Morgan State University and immediately entered the management training program at McDonald’s, where she rose through the ranks on the corporate side and at locations around the country.
Her focus on operations, combined with her entrepreneurship, has kept her on the track of success that she now shares with her crew and others to whom she is an inspiration.
McDonald’s | Facebook | Instagram
McDonald’s Black & Positively Golden Scholarship
721 By DSC serves elevated soul food, tribute to family on the side
Back in November, owner Dakota Stanley opened a small boutique-style restaurant in West Philadelphia serving up family soul food recipes with a modern take on American cuisine.
The restaurant was opened in honor of Dakota Stanley’s late mother and grandmother. Her grandmother’s birthday was October 7th and her mother’s was February 21st. Thus, 721 was born.
The DSC stands for Dakota Stanley Catering, which was Stanley’s first business venture, started in 2017.
Dakota’s oldest daughter bakes delicious desserts for the restaurant. Daily offerings include banana pudding and strawberry crunch cake.
The boutique-style provides a small, intimate dining experience, perfect for families to relax and enjoy comforting meals.
The catfish with honey lemon pepper sauce is a popular dish, but with Valentine’s Day around the corner, Stanley is whipping up some special dishes: The “Marry Me” chicken pasta with sun-dried tomatoes and the crab stuffed lobster with grits and a creamy, white wine sauce.
Throughout each month, Stanley hosts special events like karaoke night and themed Sunday brunches.
They bring in a DJ for fun events like Beyoncé and Brunch, amongst other music themes.
721 by DSC is a BYO but mocktails are available to complement your liquor of choice.
One of the last projects Stanley completed with her mother was creating her own seasonings used in the dishes. These can also be purchased at the restaurant or online.
721 By DSC
846 N 44th St, Philadelphia, PA 19104
267-969-3786
Valentine’s Day Weekend Dinner
February 9-13
Reservations can be made by phone
Kitchen Korners provides food entrepreneurs space to learn, grow
Alonzo Coates created Kitchen Korners with the hopes of giving food entrepreneurs a place to expand their businesses and build their dreams.
The northeast Philadelphia commissary is a converted garage.
Inside, you will find a state-of-the-art kitchen with every tool at your fingertips.
Kitchen Korners has become a test kitchen and prep space for caterers, food truckers and chefs.
Ma Dookz is using the space to develop her healthy take on soul food, including her vegan and gluten-free peach cobbler waffles.
The space inspired Alonzo’s newest venture, Zo’s Gourmet Cookies.
He has six flavors that he wholesales and does catering.
2000 McKinley Street, Philadelphia, PA 19149
Yowie Hotel opens on South Street with shop-worthy stays
At the new Hotel Yowie, everything in the hotel is available to buy in the shop on the ground level.
The hotel is the dream project of the Yowie brand founder, Shannon Maldonado.
She grew up in the area, started a boutique of artful objects eight years ago, and says this has been in the works for years.
She says with the Yowie brand focused on home goods, it made sense for the hotel to do double duty as a showroom.
Each of the 13 suites is completely different, and cafe Wim is onsite and open daily.
Maldonado put her design background to use, doing all the interiors for the property and curating all items in the rooms.
Yowie Hotel and Shop | Facebook | Instagram
226 South Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147
215-346-6337
Window art installations act as portals to Black history in Philly
At the turn of the 20th century, Philadelphia’s 7th Ward was considered a hub for the growing Black and immigrant population. But local artists felt this history wasn’t illustrated well enough in the present day.
In late 2023, 7th Ward Tribute: Legacy Reclaimed was launched. The months-long celebration features community events and a walking tour which help place Black history in focus.
Artists Amelia Carter, Beth Naomi Lewis, and Li Sumpter had the honor of presenting two unique art installations. The Time Bandit of the 7th Ward focuses on public art and gaming, whereas Reflecting Revenants highlights historical photos within windows and walls to paint a picture of everyday life for Black Americans.
“We always were struck by the fact that we knew that some Black history happened here, but there was no evidence of that,” said Amelia Carter. “So, we wanted to make that invisible history visible again.”
Anyone interested in this experience can take a self-guided tour or sign up for a guided tour on Saturday mornings. The 7th Ward Tribute is planned to run until Friday, February 23, 2024.
For more information, visit their website.
Small House helps creative entrepreneurs build their brand in Philly
Small House helps Creative Entrepreneurs Build their Brand in Philadelphia
Owner Susan Small started Small House as a production company called S. Charli Productions with a 1950’s period piece called ‘Blue’ in 2012.
In 2015 she wrote her first children’s musical called “Princess Nylah and the Journey to the Magic Window”.
With the pandemic putting a halt in productions, she turned the musical into a children’s book.
Small is a mother of four and was motivated to increase diversity and representation.
Small House opened in 2020 to help creative entrepreneurs build their brand, providing resources for her clients to publish and sell their books.
You can visit the Small House website to book a consultation virtually or at the Small House headquarters.
The Small House HQ is inside Kensington’s MaKen Studios and offers space for content creation and small events.
Small House| | Instagram|Facebook
3525 I. STREET, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19143
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