Support Black-Owned Businesses Every Day.
The summer of 2020 will forever be remembered as an important time in the Civil Rights and Black Lives Matter movement, but all that work goes to waste if we aren't supporting Black-owned businesses every day. Below you'll find a small list of restaurants, shops, salons, and more in the Denver area that deserve your business. We challenge you (and ourselves!) to be more intentional with where you spend your money - support Black, support all POC, support women, support local - today and every day.
These are but a fraction of the restaurants, shops and more that you will find in Denver. For more information, check out Haute Table’s list of restaurants, the Colorado Black Chamber of Commerce, My Black Colorado, and 303 Magazine’s Black-owned directory.
image via facebook/welton street cafe
Restaurants & Food
The Denver food scene is as large as it is varied, and that is in part owed to Black restauranteurs. Whether it’s soul food spots like Welton Street Cafe, delicious cakes from Flick of the Whisk Cakes, home-baked breads and treats from Le French, or coffee and a breakfast sandwich from Whittier Cafe, there’s a lot to choose from.
MORE BLACK-OWNED RESTAURANTS TO SUPPORT
image via facebook/iconi
Shop
If you’ve got shopping on the mind, then these stores are here to help. Grab hand-crafted candles from Eternal Balance Candles, dress your best with Be A Good Person, get active with ICONI, and get crafty with Shop at MATTER. Not only will you get a chance to shop Black-owned, but you can also support local businesses. Now that’s a win-win!
image via instagram/nails with ashleigh
Spas & Beauty
We all know how important mental and self-care have been lately, so these spas and wellness shops are here to take care of you. Get pampered at Moss North Therapy, zen out with a good cup of tea from Herbal Honey, shop hair care and skincare with Akente Express or touch up those nails with Nails With Ashleigh.
image via simply pure
Dispensaries
There’s more than one way to relax, and sometimes a joint is the way to go. Grab some bud from Simply Pure, or if that’s not totally your vibe, you can kick back with some CBD from Nu Life Organics or MAJIC Wellness. Either way, you’ll be supporting businesses in a sector that has a severe lack of Black representation and that’s the move.
Adri Norris at BabeWalls By Nikki A. Rae
Art
This year has shown us just how much we need the arts to feed our souls during difficult times. Luckily, we have a vibrant art scene here in Denver. We encourage you to support Black artists in our community by purchasing their work, following them on social media, and attending their shows. Dive in by checking out Adrienne Norris (artist and educator), Thomas “Detour” Evans (artist/muralist), Blake Jackson (photographer), Hiero Viega (muralist), and Brien Hollowell (photographer).
image via facebook/more that curly
Salons & Barbershops
Let’s be honest, those home haircuts aren’t really cutting it (pun totally intended). A professional trim sounds in order. Take some off the top at More Than Curly, Salon Utopia, or Blessed Beauty Lounge. Guys, if you need that beard trimmed as well, then check out Supreme Style Barbershop and Brooklyn Barber Academy.
image via facebook/dubwise yoga
Fitness
Whether you’re looking to shed some quarantine weight or just make healthier commitments, these fitness studios are here to help. Center yourself at Dubwise Yoga, learn how to swing at Tao of Boxing, dance that butt off at Miss Rachel’s Dance, improve your nutrition as well as workout habits at Naturally Defined Fitness or get off the couch with, well, Get Off The Couch personal training.
Brother Jeff's Cultural Center by nikki a. rae photography
Community Organizations
We are nothing without community, and there are many organizations working day and night to support the Black community in Denver. Whether you want to get involved or just donate, we recommend checking out Brother Jeff’s Cultural Center, 10for10, Struggle of Love Foundation, Black Lives Matter 5280, Soul 2 Soul Sisters, and SOAR.
As noted, this is but an incredibly small portion of Black-owned businesses in Denver. We highly recommend doing more research to find out how you can support these and other businesses locally or how to get involved in activism. We all can and should do better.
If you know of a Black-owned business we should know about, drop us a line at cm (at) do303 (dot) com.
