When Kelli Lemon and her co-founders\u00a0first dreamed up the Richmond Black Restaurant Experience, the local dining scene looked very different. Lemon, a community connector with roots in television and media, since 2018\u00a0the owner of downtown cafe Urban Hang Suite, along\u00a0with friends\u00a0and equally community-oriented go-getters Shemicia Bowen and Amy Wentz, came up with a simple but powerful idea: Highlight Black-owned restaurants, bring a more diverse group of diners through their doors\u00a0and boost the city\u2019s Black-owned food businesses while showcasing the area\u2019s\u00a0vast\u00a0culinary talent.<\/p>\n
Now, as RBRE marks\u00a0its 10th year, Lemon and her collaborators are pausing to reflect \u2014 and looking ahead.\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s really about having conversations about what we do next,\u201d\u00a0she says, \u201cand what\u00a0this looks like going forward.\u201d<\/p>\n
The annual event, dedicated to empowering and supporting Black owners and operators in the local food and beverage industry, runs through March 15.\u00a0Since its inception in 2017, RBRE has grown into one of the region\u2019s most enduring food events. What began as a marketing push for a handful of Richmond eateries has evolved into a platform\u00a0uplifting\u00a0dozens of caterers, food trucks, pop-ups and brick-and-mortar establishments across the city.<\/p>\n
When she looks into her hospitality crystal ball, Lemon says, it\u00a0hints at a broader future,\u00a0and a vision that stretches well beyond Richmond.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are the Richmond Black Restaurant Experience,\u201d she says, \u201cbut really we\u2019re a marketing and promotion hub. So we\u2019ve got to step back and ask,\u00a0\u2018How do we highlight all of Virginia?\u2019\u00a0There\u2019s dope Black food all across the state, from I-64 to I-95, so\u00a0how do we create experiences that showcase that?\u201d<\/p>\n
At the 10-year mark, the question feels more urgent than ever. The RBRE team has fielded many requests over the years from restaurateurs, caterers and food entrepreneurs in Colonial Heights, Newport News, Fredericksburg,\u00a0Danville and beyond who are looking to participate. They have discussed expanding before, but the anniversary year makes the idea feel newly possible.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a year of legacy,\u201d Lemon says. \u201cTen years is a milestone, but it\u2019s also a moment to reflect on how we support Black-owned restaurants across the entire state. Richmond is the home base,\u00a0but it\u2019s bigger than Richmond.\u201d<\/p>\n
Businesses pay a fee to participate in the Richmond Black Restaurant Experience, in return for\u00a0promotion, marketing and guidance through RBRE\u2019s network. While the initiative has weathered questions along the way, including why an event focused specifically on Black-owned businesses is still necessary, Lemon says the answer remains clear: Visibility matters.<\/p>\n
Local restaurateurs say the platform makes a tangible difference.<\/p>\n
Ashley Lewis, owner of The Beet Box, is participating for the third year. Her juice and smoothie bar has outposts on Cary Street and in Union Hill, with a forthcoming location inside Richmond International Airport.<\/p>\n
\u201cRBRE highlights the range and diversity of Black-owned businesses across Richmond. Being among so many Black-owned businesses in the city is powerful,\u201d Lewis says. \u201cIt encourages people to be more intentional about where they spend their dollars.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe restaurant industry is challenging,\u201d she adds, \u201cso having a platform that intentionally highlights businesses like ours makes a real difference.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lewis also sees the week as a chance to broaden perceptions of Black cuisine.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor us at The Beet Box, it\u2019s also an opportunity to introduce people to healthier choices,\u201d she says. \u201cOur focus on fresh juices, smoothies and plant-forward options supports a healthier lifestyle.\u201d<\/p>\n
RBRE 2026 kicked off last weekend with\u00a0the sprawling food truck gathering Mobile Soul Sunday, which\u00a0drew hundreds to Monroe Park in Richmond.\u00a0This year\u2019s programming includes a slate of special events, such as a Parallax Project\u00a0wine tasting at Urban Hang Suite on March 11 from 4 to 7 p.m., and Black Love + Basketball\u00a0on Friday, March 13, at 6 p.m. at\u00a0Bolos Eatery + Blackwell & Brainstorm Brewhouse, featuring\u00a0a curated menu, RBRE-themed cocktails and spirits from Black-owned brands including Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey and Fort Mose Bourbon. From 7 to 9 p.m., the party heads upstairs to the rooftop for small bites and a beer tasting from Brainstorm Brewhouse, followed by a DJ set until 11 p.m.<\/p>\n
On March 15, the celebration continues with lunch at Jackie\u2019s Restaurant on Laburnum Avenue in Henrico\u00a0\u2014 a longtime participant \u2014 followed by Driven by Her, a sold-out (wait list available) Slingshot group ride to a sneak peek of the forthcoming Sarah & Co. Cafe on Nine Mile Road, expected to open later this spring.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The RBRE network of restaurants, caterers and food entrepreneurs is a mix of long-standing establishments and rising newcomers, from family ventures such as Mama J\u2019s and decades-old, day-one participant\u00a0Croaker\u2019s Spot to newcomers including Yella\u2019s Yummies Bakery and Trevor\u2019s Grill & Tavern.<\/p>\n
Others\u00a0on the lineup:\u00a0Pig & Brew\u00a0and Philly Vegan in Manchester; Cheddar Jackson; multiple concepts from restaurateur LaChan Toran including Black Olive Pizzeria, The Benedict on Cary and District Prime Chophouse; Frank\u2019s Grill at Market 5, a new venture in Charles City from Helen Holmes of the shuttered\u00a0Ms. Girlee\u2019s Kitchen; Le Box Lunch Cafe; The Original Ronnie\u2019s BBQ in Varina; Harlym Blue\u2019Z\u00a0on Brookland Park Boulevard; the newly relocated Lillie Pearl and sister spots Farm & Oak and ML Steak;\u00a0and Stony Point\u2019s Southern Kitchen Restaurant.<\/p>\n
Giving back to the community has become central to RBRE\u2019s mission. Each year, the organization partners with one Richmond public school\u00a0for a luncheon and career conversations with students, encouraging young people to explore hospitality, personal and professional development,\u00a0entrepreneurship, and culinary careers.<\/p>\n
During the COVID-19 pandemic, RBRE also\u00a0presented each of its\u00a0brick-and-mortar business owners with a $1,000 grant in the summer of 2020\u00a0and gave $500 to each food truck operator and caterer\u00a0that December.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The event has found success in recognizing\u00a0the full scope\u00a0of the food industry \u2014 from caterers and mobile vendors to pop-ups and established restaurants.\u00a0\u201cWe really came in at a time where we could define what this was,\u201d Lemon says. \u201cNow it\u2019s about figuring out the next phase.\u201d<\/p>\n
She says future efforts may include year-round promotion,\u00a0spotlighting caterers during the holiday season, encouraging diners to keep exploring beyond the official week\u00a0and building partnerships that expand the organization\u2019s reach.<\/p>\n
It may also mean passing the torch.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m ready to push it to the next generation,\u201d Lemon says. \u201cWe\u2019ve set the foundation. Now it\u2019s time to figure out what the next 10 years look like and how we can set this up for who can take it on.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
When Kelli Lemon and her co-founders\u00a0first dreamed up the Richmond Black Restaurant Experience, the local dining scene looked very different. Lemon, a community connector with roots in television and media, since 2018\u00a0the owner of downtown cafe Urban Hang Suite, along\u00a0with friends\u00a0and equally community-oriented go-getters Shemicia Bowen and Amy Wentz, came up with a simple but<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":41450,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[33704,33706,33702,33707,33147,33146,33703,33705,3175,3173,3171,3174,3172],"class_list":["post-41449","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-virginia","tag-amy-wentz","tag-ashley-lewis","tag-kelli-lemon","tag-mama-j","tag-rbre","tag-richmond-black-restaurant-experience","tag-shemicia-bowen","tag-the-beet-box","tag-virginia","tag-virginia-dining","tag-virginia-food","tag-virginia-grocery-stores","tag-virginia-restaurants"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/vive.im\/@dc\/117375605322678742","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41449","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41449"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41449\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/41450"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41449"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41449"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41449"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}