It is officially BRAC Black Restaurant Week and my favorite segment of the month.

It's a little misleading because it's actually 2 weeks.

So there's still plenty of time to visit your favorite local spots or to explore some new ones.

The event was created 5 years ago in an effort to help restaurants that couldn't afford the pricey marketing.

So we've got a couple of chefs from to Chicago eateries.

They're here with us now.

Terry Evans, owner of Windy City ribs.

And I use Murph president of hairs Gulf Shrimp.

Thanks to you both for joining us.

I'm really excited talk to you, but I'm also excited about the goodies that you brought.

So first, let's talk about black restaurant week How are you preparing for?

Terry Evans will start with you.

No, this is our second year participating and so what is most exciting as it exposes our brands, people that.

>> Ordinarily wouldn't visit one of our establishments.

So I think from a preparation standpoint, is just ensuring that we've got the staff because they do bring out the people, the marketing they provide for us is standing which allows people to drive some traffic, additional traffic to the restaurant to want to be sure you've got the people and obviously the food, rather put this stuff stocked up so they feed everybody.

>> same question to How do you prepare for black restaurant week?

Oh, yes, we is our second year as well.

And I it's one of my most favorite you know, falls right after taste of but we we started a special as like, let's just Eastland, something new.

>> And this is our po boy that we watch just for black restaurant week and like you said it, it gives a platform to lesser known brand restaurants.

So a busy time of year for you falls right after the taste.

But that means you're also it's sort of force force multiplier Yeah.

So only see here to your bank Yassin and its special in my heart.

>> Because last year at this time, the Feed the Cell Foundation or want to grab have a grant for my restaurant.

Allow.

Okay.

Congratulations I'm Terry Black restaurant week was as we've discussed created with the intent to highlight and uplift black owned spots.

What barriers are challenges to black owned business is face that others might not.

>> You know, I tell people this all the time we have the grit and the Hawks and the and intelligence to be able to it sure that our restaurants are successful.

The challenge is always the Capitol, right?

And so when you can't and don't have the resources to do that additional stuff that's necessary in order to grow and scale like marketing, you're going to need that extra push.

And so organizations like this allow us to be able to get that marketing that otherwise we couldn't afford.

Because if you think about agency record or hiring someone to come in a lot of times with minority owned restaurant.

We just don't have those resources available to us it.

Sure you are.

You switching anything up for next week?

And here's Gulf Shrimp, for example, you mentioned the PO boy, that we have not this since the founder any here.

I took over the business after my husband passed away.

>> 3 years ago during COVID.

So right now we wanted to keep some of outfits like sober family-run restaurant, the shrimp Po boy, this is just special just for Midwest Black Restaurant Week.

just for them and we'll see if going to continue it after it's that, okay.

We'll see how it does next week.

Of course, our condolences the loss of your husband on because here's Gulf Shrimp.

Long legacy in Chicago.

20 years, 20 in just a little bit tell us a little bit about fun here tells has so here, where the got shrimp.

Because this is his my mother-in-law.

When they're in, that would have been the same ages.

Billie Holiday, 100 in 4.

And so that's where the Louisiana Gulf Shrimp because she was from the Texas Louisiana Goff area.

makes us different?

Why tell people even though where my papa your hand could hand a vein?

Our shrimp come in daily from the supplier.

So that's why we have that one of a kind distinctive taste which impressed me.

Obviously we how do you get Gulf shrimp?

Fresh daily, never frozen.

Here is the list questions.

We're going to fight few minutes, all but the judge of that.

Thank you very much very windy city ribs.

You're known for your staple of barbecue foods.

Are you switching anything up this year?

>> You know, we will offer our sampler at a discounted rate and will also do a catfish as well as our smoke going.

>> Combination because a lot of people don't know that we do have other things other than rebs.

And for our now pork eaters, they can come in and try some of things that are always sold out wishes are smoked wings that are catfish do really well.

So we're going to be switched out with that this year.

Got you.

And so, you know, I'm sensing from both of you.

Obviously, you've got your staples.

You've got your reds and you've got your golf trip.

But, you know, I'm also getting sort us old food, southern vive altogether anyway, yes, yes, I mean, similar.

I think to I use a story, right?

My great, great grandfather sold whiskey as a free slave.

And so I always stand on the shoulders of understanding that if he could do that as a free slave and so was key to be able to create educational opportunity for his family.

I'm 3 generations selling whiskey starting off in the South Loop Chicago now doing in Navy Pier.

So I think the fact that we always kind of go back to the roots allows us to kind of continue to figure out where we want to scale and how we want to grow our businesses to folks who know are going are you related to near screen know I went you we And I saw you all just moved to Navy Pier as well.

Terry hasn't going first black owned business to be on Navy Restaurant.

Black female restaurant, a Navy Pier love the leadership.

They've been very supportive of ensuring.

>> But I get the resources that I need in order to continue to grow.

And it's just great.

I mean, they see so much traffic.

There's so much opportunity for residents that are in Chicago to come out to Navy Pier, to experience all the things.

So when they can come in, they can find a locally owned restaurant.

I think it kind of puts icing on the cake for what's already there.

So I've been advised him to try some food, which, you know, you don't have to tell me twice.

Problem is I don't have a forks on the finger I suppose because it delightful.

But what it while wait see if I can get a 4 cafe can make one materialize >> want you to you brought police told me about the po boy.

Yes, like I said, that's what we're launching for Black restaurant week.

We're going to offer this for a special and then our traditional like you're saying the southern.

>> Food like to fish shrimp with spaghetti in our spaghetti is is made fresh daily.

I'm it's bell pepper onion and the ground beef sauce.

So this is what we caution OK, now that you're not going to tell me, but I'm going to ask you anyway, tell me about the fry.

How do you how your private room?

Yes, we but are 5, 5 shrimp?

What are what are you call it?

The family trade secret recipe and that's what makes them nice.

And crispy proprietary blend.

Yes, yet or if is not telling us folks.

>> But what you want, what you have.

So we have our sampler was comes with 3 bones.

>> As well 2 other smoke meats, this what will offer for the next 2 weeks as well to our brisk it as well as our pulled pork and our smoke points.

We're going to give people an extra item on their sample.

Addition that we have our staple size, which includes our beans, our low tehan are big things.

Okay.

That's a low today.

Yeah.

And it is not American cheese, everybody.

The right here in way that it is your face shout out to Granger.

Thank So, you know, we've just got a couple seconds left.

What advice do you have to other aspiring black restaurant tours?

Harry?

>> And I think you need to establish a community to to your earlier point.

It should.

I are friends were connected in a number of different ways.

>> But I think allowing other restaurant groups to be able to find that opportunity to connect with other restaurants.

is key because it is a lonely place as a business owner.

And so if you to have that community is great.

And the 2 of you have each other, know, as well as some others, which is So could good luck for Black restaurant week.

Thanks again for coming Terry Evans and I Earth again