Here’s how two apps are connecting Black-owned restaurants with new customers

When Anthony Edwards Jr. and his then-girlfriend, Janique, first moved to Brooklyn in 2016, they struggled to find food that was comfortable and familiar to them.

They explored their neighborhood, Edwards said, but had a hard time finding Black-owned restaurants nearby. There were few resources for doing so besides group chats and informal lists. So, with the encouragement of Janique, now his wife, he used his computer science degree to create a platform for users to find Black-owned eateries.

The two co-founded EatOkra, an app that now has 20,000 monthly active users and brought in about $700,000 in revenue in 2024.

“As we put it out there into the world, we saw people immediately gravitate and tell us frankly, ‘I’ve been looking for an app like this,’ and we still hear this to this day,” Edwards, EatOkra’s CEO and CTO, told CNBC.

They weren’t the only ones. In 2020, Brax Rich was seeking a way to support Black-owned restaurants amid the Covid pandemic. He launched Black Foodie Finder, originally as a social media space to highlight eateries. Now, Black Foodie Finder has 1.3 million Instagram followers and spotlights restaurants, chefs and recipes in its app.

“I think our impact has been really big,” Rich, CEO of Black Foodie Finder, told CNBC. “We would highlight a restaurant, and the next thing I know, the owner’s posting on social media, ‘Hey, where did all you new guys come from?'”

Here’s a look at how these platforms are showcasing Black-owned businesses and Black food professionals:

EatOkra users can search for Black-owned restaurants, caterers and food trucks based on keywords or proximity. About 20,000 businesses across the U.S. are available to browse in its database, including their locations, user reviews, contact information and online ordering options. EatOkra, named after the plant used in African diasporic dishes, also lists Black-owned food products in its marketplace.

The platform offers two tiers for businesses seeking to join the database: a free Lite option and a paid Plus subscription that offers additional features, online business courses and more space on the app for $9.99 a month. Edwards said the Plus membership serves as EatOkra’s primary business model.

EatOkra’s current partners include catering company ezCater and Pepsi Dig In, PepsiCo’s initiative to promote Black-owned businesses. It also collaborates with Apple Maps to help produce local guides to Black-owned eateries.

The company provides resources on topics such as marketing, supply chain and restaurant growth, said Jason Wallace, EatOkra’s director of business solutions and a food service educator.

“It’s been exactly what the independent restaurateur needs,” Wallace said. “There’s a mom-and-pop aspect that needs to be refined so that they can develop those CEO skill sets, those COO skill sets that EatOkra brings to the table. And quite frankly, it’s refreshing to the operator to know that they’re not out there by themselves.”

Ken Polk, executive chef and partner at Batter & Berries, said the Chicago-based restaurant joined EatOkra several years ago to boost its visibility, especially among travelers who might use EatOkra to seek out local Black-owned businesses.

“I thought the platform was ingenious, particularly in this day and age we live in, where things just get buried and it’s very hard to find something,” Polk told CNBC. “It’s a beacon.”

Edwards said EatOkra’s efforts to build a community for Black-owned restaurants culminated in its Culinary Creatives Conference, which debuted in October in New York City. The one-day event brought about 500 attendees together to build connections, spotlight vendors and discuss business strategies.

The most rewarding part, Edwards said, was seeing people find mentors and strike deals with other businesses. He hopes to eventually plan a multiday national conference.

“This conference aims to be an incubator, be a catalyst for current and future entrepreneurs to come together — to get the education, to get the community and the networks they need,” Edwards told CNBC.

Jeremy Joyce, founder of website Black People Eats, said EatOkra provides a platform for restaurants that don’t have the resources for marketing campaigns. He’s discovered numerous restaurants through EatOkra, he told CNBC.

“What they’re doing is very impactful. Because I did the research, and there, at the time, was no other app who was doing what they were doing,” Joyce said.

Clark Wolf, founder and president of restaurant consulting firm Clark Wolf Company, said EatOkra’s rise comes at a moment of increased representation and recognition of Black food culture. He cited the 2021 Netflix docuseries “High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America” and the success of James Beard Award-winning chef Kwame Onwuachi as examples of the growing interest.

“This is at a time when in American culture, even though there’s a push against it, we have been acknowledging Black history, African American influences in food and farming,” Wolf said.

Still, challenges lie ahead for EatOkra and the businesses it supports. Wallace said fluctuating food prices, President Donald Trump’s push for more deportations and consumer disposable income all present potential headwinds for independent restaurants.

“We’re still resolute in what we’re going to continue to do and who we’re going to fight for,” Edwards said. “That’s not going to change.”

Rich said Black Foodie Finder is a one-stop shop for all things food and beverage in the Black community.

Social media is Black Foodie Finder’s “meat and potatoes,” Rich said, and it often serves as a gateway for newcomers to BFF.

“It’s really just been about a community and, as we highlight these people, making sure we put them in their best light,” Rich told CNBC. “I honestly can say that’s been the best return. It’s kind of the secret sauce.”

On BFF’s app, which has 75,000 active users and about 15,000 restaurant listings, users can find nearby Black-owned eateries as well as profiles for local chefs and recipes for dishes such as peach cobbler.

Heather Rose, CEO of restaurant consulting firm Black Ink Team, said BFF’s spotlight on chefs boosts businesses by creating access to the people behind them.

“It puts you directly in contact with the person who is the creative driver behind the business,” Rose told CNBC.

Black Foodie Finder has previously inked corporate partnerships, but its current primary revenue source is its BFF Cookout, a food festival in Memphis, Tennessee, where the company is based. The inaugural cookout in September, with sponsors including Clorox-owned charcoal company Kingsford, brought about 3,000 people to Tom Lee Park for food vendors and musical performances.

Rich said it was important for him that the cookout appealed to everyone, from families enjoying kid-friendly programming to vendors receiving fair compensation. The festival will return this year, he told CNBC, and he’s looking to expand it.

“At the end of the event, our vendors came to us and were like, ‘Wherever you go, I want to follow,'” he said.

Rich is also hoping to build out BFF’s media presence. The company is currently looking into producing short shows and video segments highlighting restaurants, possibly on television.

It’s part of Rich’s vision for Black Foodie Finder as a go-to space to highlight businesses.

“Most of the businesses and most of the people in the food space, they are experts at food,” Rich said. “Sometimes, they just don’t have the platforms or support to grow. And so that’s what we are. We are that support system.”