Geoff Beverly, owner of Y’all’s Cafe in Round Rock, said he was caught off guard when sales at his restaurant suddenly rose by 40% on June 2.
“It was outstanding,” Beverly said. “On that Tuesday, we did $1,400 from online orders to go only.”
That day, the hashtag “Blackout Tuesday” took off on social media to raise awareness about systemic racism and to protest police brutality. Some also took the day to contribute to anti-racism efforts by supporting Black-owned restaurants like Beverly’s.
However, Beverly said the sudden boost in patronage has since puttered out.
“I would say right now it’s probably back to the status quo,” he said. “I guess there’s still an increase because more people come to talk to us, so I would say it definitely had an impact.”
Beverly said he was not surprised by the decrease, adding that while people generally want to see Black-owned businesses succeed, they don’t always support them. Black-owned restaurants also tend to be more heavily scrutinized than others, he said.
“It’s a catch-22,” he said. “The bad side about it is when you make a mistake they always say I want to support Black businesses but this is the reason why I don’t.”
Beverly’s restaurant, which serves a mix of Cajun and southern comfort food, has been staying afloat with to-go orders amid the coronavirus pandemic. The first week of June was the best for business since the Y’all’s Cafe reopened its dining area at 50% capacity, Beverly said.
In the aftermath of George Floyd’s killing in Minneapolis and the protests against racism that ensued in the Austin area and across the country, several Black-owned restaurants in Round Rock and Pflugerville are seeing a surge in support.
DonRico Nelson, owner of Krack of Dawn Kafe in Round Rock, said he has also seen a new diverse crowd at his restaurant.
“Having a Black business right now is great because there’s a lot of people that want to support us and that’s a beautiful thing,” he said. “It’s great that people are finally recognizing that Black is just as good as any other color.”
His restaurant, a doughnut shop and cafe, had to lay off some employees and temporarily closed due to COVID-19. Nelson said it’s important to support Black-owned businesses, especially during the pandemic, since many face financial barriers.
“It’s always been hard for Black owners to get loans or grants compared to other minorities,” he said.
At first, Nelson said he was skeptical about the sudden increase in patronage but said seeing companies like Quaker Oats dropping the name and image of Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben’s announcing its rebranding convinced him that the newfound support will be long-lasting.
“I think that is huge,” he said. “To make a change you’ve got to start somewhere, and they’re making a change and I think that’s awesome. When I read that I almost teared up.”
Patricia Bedford, owner of Suga’s Cakery, an online bakery and cake shop in Pflugerville, said the uptick in orders she has seen have come from people that didn’t know her business existed. This was thanks to stories that highlighted her restaurant and other Black-owned businesses in the area, she said.
“I feel like people felt like they can do something about it and they could be part of the solution,” she said.
Bedford said she is confident that the support will continue and that she will retain her new customers, adding the quality of her work and from other Black business owners will speak for itself.
She also emphasized the importance of supporting Black businesses to help level the financial playing field.
“When you talk about 400 years of slavery, 50 plus years of overt racism and legislation that just passed not even 50 to 60 years ago that granted us equal rights ... there’s a large economic disparity between Black Americans and the rest of the country,” she said. “Entrepreneurship is one way to obtain wealth and financial independence, things we weren’t born with that we don’t have a legacy of in this country.”
Bedford’s business was hit hard by the pandemic, especially with the cancellation of the South By Southwest Festival in Austin. She stayed afloat by doing grocery deliveries and personally delivering cakes to customers who were immunocompromised.
She is currently fundraising on kickstarter to open a food trailer in August, with a target of $16,000 to completely build out the trailer. She’s hoping her new customers will support her goal.
During a time when many restaurants are shutting their doors, Dawan Anderson, owner of Bahadi’s Chicken and Lounge in Pflugerville, said many of his customers, old and new, are wanting to help sustain local businesses.
“A lot of people come in and ask how we’re doing and they try to support even if they come in and just buy some French fries,” he said.
Without being able to host some of their popular events like karaoke nights, the restaurant, which specializes in Chicago-style food, has taken a big financial hit. The restaurant is currently only providing takeout orders. Opening at 50% would not produce enough revenue to sustain the restaurant, Anderson said.
“We need 100% for what we do at the capacity that we have,” he said.
Anderson said the restaurant is doing its best to keep its doors open through the pandemic and hopes the increase in support continues.
“We appreciate the help from the community,” he said. “We hope to be around in Pflugerville as long as possible, but we have to make it through the coronavirus.”
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