Black History Month — a time to acknowledge, understand and celebrate the contributions African Americans have made throughout history — also provides an opportunity to appreciate the work of local Black entrepreneurs in our own communities.
In celebration of Black History Month, we’re highlighting a few of the minority-owned businesses here in Montgomery County and Bucks County to support this month and all year long:
The Burgerly, New Hope
Owners: Chef Mark McLean and Zach Glover
Chef Mark McClean and Zach Glover opened The Burgerly in 2021 with the hopes of taking the classic burger joint to the next level, offering flavorful and eye-catching handhelds inside a cool and casual restaurant that fits the feel of New Hope’s thriving downtown.
“It’s more of an experience we try to deliver,” said McLean, who also owns Fres Café and Remarkable Cuisines, both in New Jersey. “The look and the feel, it just really combines some really simplistic techniques to make something complex and delicious.”
The Burgerly offers upscale, handcrafted burgers with unique touches, such as The Wonderful, made with a beef patty dressed with savory onions and their special burger mop, Havarti cheese, tomato, fresh microgreens, griddled mushrooms, house Canadian bacon, sweet onion aioli and a spicy BBQ sauce.
Other favorites include the Salmon BLT, Veggie Legendary and Shrimps’ Time to Shine, a spicy shrimp burger made using Argentinian wild red shrimp, cherry pepper, muenster, pickled cabbage, micro parsley and amaranth, tomato, local jerk BBQ and serrano aioli.
The Dam Hotdog is another big seller, which comes topped with pulled BBQ brisket chili, pickled cabbage and spicy mayo.
Go: 137 S. Main St., New Hope; 215-693-1198; theburgerly.com
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Harper & Penny’s, Doylestown
Owners: Chef Jamal Harper
Inspired by the food of his youth combined with more than 30 years in the restaurant business, Chef Jamal Harper delivers Southern fusion dishes, inside a laidback, yet stylish bar and bistro-style restaurant in downtown Doylestown.
“I wanted to bring forth the food I was brought up, the food my parents were brought up on, to introduce my ancestral food in a community that maybe has had anything like it before,” said Harper, who parents are from the South.
The menu includes customer favorites, such as their generously sized chicken wings slathered in a housemade Carolina barbecue sauce, sautéed shrimp tossed with H&P hot sauce served over creamy grits, or French onion fries topped with mozzarella and caramelized onion gravy.
Tucked away inside the Main Street Marketplace, this cozy spot, while small, has a lively feel to it any night of the week, with a mix of customers coming to enjoy a full meal or simply savor glass a local wine, craft beer or specialty cocktail with friends.
“This is something I’ve wanted to do all my life. I want the people that come here to be happy and enjoy the food and feel a sense of community,” Harper said.
Go: 22 S. Main St., Doylestown; 267-454-7638; harperandpennys.com
Cyrenity Sips, Hatboro
Owner: Shakia Williams
Step inside Cyrenity Sips and you’ll quickly notice it’s not your typical winery.
From its window seat lined with plush fabric and funky little pillows to the back lounge with chic, post-modern seating and a pink floral photo wall, the space has a whole different style and vibe than what some would expect from a winemaker.
And that’s exactly what Shakia Williams wanted — a place where she could create new and exciting wines and share it with others in a way that was approachable.
Black-owned wineries account for less than 1% of all wineries in the U.S., according to the Association of African American Vintners. And for Williams, who said Cyrenity Sips is the first Black women-owned winery in Pennsylvania, she felt it was important to create an inclusive and diverse space in a white male-dominated industry.
“Representation is everything. People, they don’t know they can do it until they see someone who looks like them doing it,” William said.
With the help of her husband, Cliff, and her 22-year-old daughter, Cyan, Williams has produced more than 40 different types of wines since opening in 2022, many of which are named after close friends and family members.
Top sellers include La Peach, a sweet peach wine with edible glitter; Antonio Maurice, a chocolate raspberry dessert wine; Evelena, sweet Riesling; Carr, cabernet sauvignon; Cliff Notes, a shiraz; and Pink Jawn, a Catawba wine with edible glitter.
Go: 31 S. York Road, Hatboro; 267-387-8405; cyrenitysips.com
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Daddy’s Kitchen, Pop-ups across Bucks County
Owner: Marcus Knox
Even though this food truck got its start in Philadelphia, Daddy’s Kitchen can primarily be found rolling its way through Bucks County and cooking up regional favorites with unique spins, which Knox calls “Philadelphia fusion.”
“We use fresh ingredients and a quality you’d expect from a full restaurant, while pushing the envelope a little more,” Knox said.
His menu offers a selection of tacos, burgers, cheesesteaks, fried rice, chicken tenders and fries, with top sellers like the Birria Tacos, Teriyaki Fried Rice Pineapple Bowls and his signature Jerk Chicken Cheesesteak, made using finely diced marinated jerk chicken, pepper jack cheese and mixed bell peppers served on an Amoroso roll and smothered in jerk sauce.
Other top sellers include the birria tacos and teriyaki fried rice pineapple bowls.
Daddy’s Kitchen makes regular appearances at Warwick Farm Brewing in Jamison, Neshaminy Creek Brewing in Croydon, Aristaeus Craft Brewing in Langhorne and Forest & Main Brewing Co. in Ambler, as well as at food truck festivals and other events around the Philadelphia region.
Go: Pop-up locations vary. Follow them on Instagram @daddyscuisine for their latest schedule.
More Black-owned businesses to support in and around Bucks County:
Food & Dining
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Retail
Services
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