CHICAGO (CBS) — August is National Black Business Month, and a coffee shop on Chicago’s West Side is hoping that people living in the city for the DNC will support black-owned businesses while they’re in town.
Momentum Coffee contributes to that mission.
“If I had to pick one favorite, it would probably be this one.”
Maytana Aldana, co-owner of Sweetest Redemption, talks about the sweet potato pie roll because it’s one of her favorites. Her co-owner, Tracey Moore, was once her teacher.
“Tracey was literally there to see my complete progress and development,” Aldana said.
“It’s just so special that we’re working together now after she graduated. She was a scholarship student. We worked together for a while at Fenger and then we worked so well together that we thought, we should start a company. Look at us now. We’re in business,” said Sweetest Redemption co-owner Tracey Moore.
Their business is located at Momentum Coffee, near Laramie and Harrison, a black-owned business.
Nikki Bravo and her husband, Tracy Powell, are the owners of Momentum Coffee. During National Black Business Month, they advocate and raise awareness for Black entrepreneurs in the Chicagoland area.
“It’s so important, especially for Momentum Coffee, to really make sure that we’re providing access and equality in the food sector,” Bravo said.
The DNC is in a few days and since Momentum Coffee is located in BUILD, a youth center in Austin, and has five other locations in the city, they’re hoping out-of-towners will come out and support black-owned businesses.
“Black-owned businesses are the heart of Chicago. We really want people to take that opportunity to experience the different flavors and tastes of Chicago while they’re here,” Bravo said.
Momentum Coffee and BUILD launched a program earlier this year to help emerging businesses. It’s called BUILD Momentum Food Incubator.
The program helps entrepreneurs who want to sell food or beverage products to organize their business and profile themselves to consumers.
“As black businesses, we can start businesses, but we want to have longevity. We want businesses that are sustainable. We want businesses that have a legacy that can be continued,” Bravo said.
