CLEVELAND — Thursday night, a celebration of food, culture, and entrepreneurship takes over Rocket Arena for A Taste of Black Cleveland: The Food Showcase 7.0.
Twenty-seven Black-owned restaurants and eateries from Greater Cleveland will put their specialties front and center—17 of them participating for the first time.
“Definitely a plethora of different spices and recipes that are going to be amazing to your taste buds,” said LaRese Purnell, one of the organizers.
Danielle Sydnor and Purnell are part of the team behind the mission to elevate Black businesses and expand networking opportunities.
The Thursday event begins at 6 p.m. and tickets are available online.
I asked Sydnor, “What is the takeaway for the business owners and what's the takeaway for the community?”
She said, “The takeaway for the business owners is that they can do large-scale events that are fast-paced with lots of people. For the community, it's an opportunity to have one place to taste lots of different restaurants that sometimes people don't even know exist.”
The Cleveland Cavaliers, Black CoLabs, Aramark, and the NAACP Cleveland Branch are all part of the recipe for the event’s success.
“The energy is just electric and it belongs in that building,” Purnell said.
Guests will sample food, enjoy live entertainment, and later in the night vote on their favorite restaurants, with first-place winners in various categories receiving cash prizes.
Purnell said that at its core, A Taste of Black Cleveland is about showcasing community spirit and creating a ripple effect.
“We also support other businesses through this work. So, the videographers down to DJ Lo-Key will be in the building, down to Kenny Bell & The Franchise Band, the people that are providing the decorations and so on and so on,” Purnell said. “So, the impact that this event makes really touches a lot of the entrepreneurial community. But again, the cuisine is something to be sought after.”
Proceeds from the event will benefit participating businesses, the Cavaliers Community Foundation HBCU Scholarship Program, and the Cleveland NAACP.
