TAMPA, Fla. — Are you ready to eat good this week? Get ready, because it’s Black Restaurant week in Tampa.
It's part of a national movement created seven years ago to help black chefs, restaurants, and food truck owners get publicity and stay afloat.
“it gives us another scope,” said Christopher Glenn.
Glenn is the manager of 7th & Grove in Ybor City. He’s also one of the masterminds behind their delicious menu, especially the signatures on the restaurant week menu, which includes their fried green tomatoes, Cuban egg roll, bread pudding, and their standout “what’s your fantasy.”
“It's fried chicken thighs over mashed potatoes and Brussel sprouts, topped with a little bit of Pico De Gallo, and of course, our wonderful Grove gravy and parmesan cheese sprinkles right over the top,” Glenn said.
Glenn has been with 7th and Grove since the beginning, and he got to see it grow into one of Ybor’s thriving stables.
“To be honest with you. It’s amazing,” he said. “Now it’s starting to become one of those places where people are popping in and just saying, I heard about this place. I’m happy I tried it out today. Or, we get people who say Wow you guys really are busy like the way they say you are online.”
One of the keys to their success, according to Glenn, giving great customer service.
“Service with a smile,” he said.
According to organizers, 500,000 restaurants and bars are faced with an uncertain future due to lost revenue and increased debt over the past 22 months, and nearly half of those businesses are black-owned. Further underscoring the importance of this Black Restaurant Week.
Black Restaurant Week ends Nov. 20. For more information on Black Restaurant Week and to find out what businesses are participating, click here.
