Episode 13 : Black Restaurant Week - Supporting 1,500+ Culinary Businesses

In this episode, host Kieron Bailey sits down with Falayn Ferrell, Chairwoman of Feed the Soul Foundation and Managing Partner at Black Restaurant Week, to discuss how her organization is revolutionizing support for small culinary businesses across America.  From spotlighting 20 restaurants in Houston to over 1,500 nationally, Falayn shares insights from their groundbreaking two-year industry report, the power of data-driven advocacy, and why restaurants are truly the soul of their communities. Takeaways: Why restaurants are the first to hire and give back, yet often the most overlooked in solving community challenges How a simple email newsletter achieved a 50% open rate by becoming genuinely resourceful What happens when small restaurant owners finally meet in rooms full of people who understand their exact struggles The surprising dual impact of gentrification on 20-year neighborhood restaurant staples Why most small culinary businesses aren't connected to the tourism dollars already flowing through their cities How starting a business without adequate funding creates invisible operational ripple effects What West African cuisine and Caribbean fusion might reveal about America's next flavor wave Why telling restaurant owners to "just fix customer service" completely misses what's actually happening behind the scenes The counterintuitive advice about chasing success that changed everything for a growing nonprofit How refusing press coverage for themselves won the hearts and respect of an entire industry Connect with the host: Kieron Bailey on Instagram Connect with Falayn: LinkedIn | Personal Website Learn More: Feed the Soul Foundation Industry Report  This episode is sponsored by Save Fry Oil — cutting fry oil costs up to 50% while making food crispier. No power, no chemicals. Get your free cost savings estimate. Chapters (00:00:00) - Restaurant Talk(00:00:31) - Restaurant Talk Podcast(00:02:05) - Top Black Businesses support hospitality(00:04:19) - Black Restaurant Week(00:09:06) - The UK's Restaurant Week(00:14:00) - Restaurant Owners Need More Help(00:18:18) - What Keeps the Soul in the Restaurant(00:19:56) - The National Restaurant Association's Report(00:22:23) - The Voice of Small Businesses on gentrification(00:23:39) - Questions about gentrification in the UK(00:29:26) - Small Culinary Businesses Speak Out About Tourism(00:32:15) - The Black Restaurant Association's Community Development Report(00:35:57) - What's Coming Next Out of Texas(00:36:16) - West African cuisine trends in the US(00:38:02) - On Day 1 of Starting a Business