Heinz has become a restaurant and household staple for decades. Now, the beloved brand continues to work toward a greater cause by teaming up with Southern Restaurants for Racial Justice to equip Black restaurant owners with the resources needed to win big.
Thanks to a partnership between Southern Restaurants for Racial Justice, Heinz, as well as a plethora of bakers, chefs, and restaurant owners to offer grants that range between $15,000 and $25,000 to Black-owned food establishments as they work to scale and grow their businesses, a blog post revealed.
“I really want to make sure that these Black-owned restaurants are seen, heard, and can build these legacy businesses,” said Southern Restaurants for Racial Justice Founder Cheryl Day. “From the heart, I want to make sure they are sustainable and that we’re offering what they need.”
Heinz Black Kitchen Initiative is back for year 2 of championing and supporting Black-owned restaurants, eateries & food initiatives with our partners @leeinitiative & SRRJ to contribute $1MM+ in grants and other business resources. To apply & learn more: https://t.co/0QR9ksOssH pic.twitter.com/R4NooiZhVW
— H.J. Heinz & Co. (@HeinzTweets) July 7, 2022
Not only will recipients receive the funds but they will also be offered an educational component through seminars led by food industry veterans. The business owners will soak in knowledge on topics like commercial leases, small business accounting, as well as employee training and retention.
“Our collective intent is to ensure financial support and other resources to sustain long-term business health and success,” said the company in a statement. “Because this is about more than saving restaurants; it’s about preserving Black culinary culture today and into the future.”
Last year’s program provided 72 businesses with $1,136,000 and led to The Black Kitchen Initiative, which is an award-winning podcast series hosted by Adrian Miller.
The program is open to both new and existing businesses, and applications are open until Sunday, Aug. 7.
Click here for more on how to apply.