August is National Black Business Month, a time that highlights the importance of Black-owned businesses to our communities as well as our national economy. There are more than 2.6 million Black-owned businesses in the US that generate $150 Billion in revenue. In Portland, Black-owned businesses can be found in business districts citywide offering everything from critically acclaimed food to passionate professional services. Celebrate National Black Business Month by supporting these Portland businesses.
- 82nd Avenue: For organic, hand crafted hair care products, try Diamond in the Rough Hair Spa. TCC & Associates performs civil engineering, surveying, land development planning, and construction management.
- Alberta: Grab some brunch at Fuel Café, which serves modern comfort food with a focus on organic ingredients. Find your muse at Green Muse, a dispensary influenced by art, science, music, sports, and fashion.
- Beaumont: Check out the selection of games, puzzles, and dice at one of Portland’s newest game stores, Puddletown Games. They even offer in person group gaming dates!
- Foster Area: For some of the best Detroit-style pizza in the city and a delicious selection of homemade brews, stop into Assembly Brewing, the first Black-owned brewery in Oregon.
- Gateway: Learn some new dance moves at Hip Hop Soulstation Academy, a dance school specializing in krump, hi-hop, lyrical, and private lessons.
- Hawthorne: Update your fall wardrobe at Savvy Plus, a plus-sized designer clothing store for women. Tattoo 34 is a street tattoo shop that specializes in flash and custom drawn pieces.
- Lents: It’s nearly impossible to have just one of the creative treats at Fat Cupcake, a neighborhood staple. Be sure to stop by and see what is cooking on the grill at Jamaican-inspired restaurant FiMi Kingston. Pick up some of their seasoning for cooking at home!
- Lloyd: Satisfy your sweet tooth with Joe Brown’s Carmel Corn, which has been a Portland institution since 1932 and offers flavored popcorn, nuts, candy, cookies, cotton candy, and Hana’s Snowballs.
- Soul District: Champions Barbershop is an upscale barbershop that offers “Champion level” grooming and customer service. For some Soul food in the Soul District, try Kee’s Loaded Kitchen, which serves smoked brisket, fried chicken, mac and cheese, loaded baked potatoes, and desserts.
- St. Johns: Get a taste of the Caribbean at Jamaica House, a Jamaican restaurant in a converted house, serving jerk and curries.
- Williams District: House of Flavor market is a gem from the genius chef Fatou Ouattara of Akadi. The shop is filled with amazing spices, oils, specialty wines and beers, plus Akadi’s house-made signature sauces.
This list is non-exhaustive. Be sure to show us your favorite Black-owned businesses on Facebook and Instagram. Visit mercatuspdx.com for a more comprehensive business directory.