The 10th annual Madison Black Restaurant Week, scheduled for August 10-17, will feature more than 40 restaurants, food trucks, caterers and other providers, several of whom are new on the roster this year.
One of those is Rasta Barista, a coffee shop that just opened in May on the first floor of the Black Business Hub on Madison’s south side.
Sei Kido and his wife Melissa come from coffee farming families — Sei’s in Liberia and Melissa’s in Jamaica. After forging careers in real estate and mortgage lending, the two pivoted to coffee. They buy certified Jamaican Blue Mountain beans — “the best in the world,” Sei Kido said — and roast it in small batches in the shop. They’ve also recently added jerk chicken to the menu.
The Madison Black Chamber of Commerce, which organizes Madison Black Restaurant Week, is also headquartered in the Black Business Hub. Kido has been familiar with the chamber for years, so it only made sense to join — and participate in BRW — when he opened his own business.
“We’re hoping to get some exposure” from Black Restaurant Week, he said. “The Black Chamber… [is] a great resource … it’s camaraderie. It represents underrepresented businesses.”
Kido and a handful of other entrepreneurs gave samples and shared their stories at a Madison Black Restaurant Week preview on Tuesday.
Another newcomer to Madison Black Restaurant Week is Fyr Syde, a Jamaican restaurant that just opened in April on Monroe Street in Madison. Nicolette Beckford and Xavier Fuller opened the restaurant after successfully operating a food truck in Wisconsin Dells for several years.
Beckford said the Black Chamber has helped with marketing as well as connecting her with service providers, since she and Fuller aren’t from Madison and don’t always know where to turn when they need printing, graphic design or other services.
“Getting to meet other business owners” is another benefit to participating in Black Restaurant Week, Beckford said.
Some veteran Black Restaurant Week participants were also present at the preview on Tuesday. Nisa Carter of Sista’s Chicken & Fish was serving up her signature gumbo and a Black Restaurant Week special: Gator fritters.
“We’ve gotten all kind of exposure” during previous Black Restaurant Weeks, Carter said, which then translates to more sales outside the week, too. “It has amped up our sales. People come around, they just come looking for her food truck, which can be found Wednesdays, Thursdays and most Saturdays at the corner of Wingra and Park, and on Cottage Grove Road on Fridays.”
Madison Black Chamber president Camille Carter said the first Madison Black Restaurant Week featured seven restaurants and five caterers. The 10th annual Black Restaurant Week is dedicated to the memory of Milele Chikasa Anana, the local leader who first brought the idea to the Black Chamber.
“It is here to support Black‑owned businesses, ensuring that… the community is aware of them, and that new customers continue to know that they exist,” she said.
Black Restaurant Week gets underway with the $5 Food Taste Jamboree at Warner Park. The full roster of participating restaurants will be made available after August 5.
