Photo: Refine Collective's 2024 Juneteenth Black-owned business market

Chicago’s Black-owned businesses provide us with plenty of opportunity to celebrate National Black Business Month. Like we mentioned in our previous post, we encourage you to familiarize yourself with more of these companies and organizations to try their offerings in August and all year round.

Read our first post highlighting National Black Business Month in Chicago

Below you’ll find a few more businesses that tickle our fancy. Read on, then find the wide variety of local Black-owned businesses at handy lists compiled by Time Out, Refine Collective and others.

Planks & Pistils

On paper, Planks & Pistils is the business entity run by artist John Caleb Pendleton, but larger than that, it’s the banner under which Pendleton provides inspiration and color and creativity to Chicago through floral design, all with the mission to “evoke a social and emotional connection to Black freedom, creativity, self-care and growth.”

His large-scale floral installations have been exhibited at the Driehaus Museum and designed in partnership with brands such as Nike, Smarties and Ferrara Candy, among others, but Planks & Pistils also offers one-of-a-kind floral arrangements to-order. What’s more, P&P hosts occasional workshops and even “Flower Throw Downs,” where in a lively nightlife atmosphere, folks sign up to compete in a flower arranging battle! We’re amazed at the intention behind the business and the fact that it has established more than just a product but a signature energy and relevance.

ChiBoys

In fourteen years, this Chicago-themed apparel brand has grown from being sold at festivals to opening a regular pop-up in Bucktown; to being worn on celebrities and athletes on red carpets, celebrated television dramas and even in the NBA 2K20 video game; to opening a ChiBoys Cafe on the Chicago Riverwalk; to most recently being chosen to represent homegrown streetwear with storefronts in both Terminals 3 and 5 at Chicago O’Hare International Airport.

Following in the footsteps of Chicago-born, Black-owned and internationally known streetwear and retail brands The Silver Room and Leaders 1345, ChiBoys is impressive to us because of its distilled love for Chicago history and culture, which shines through in fresh graphic design.

Taylor’s Tacos

We can’t pass up the opportunity to hype up Taylor’s Tacos, who are on our Special Events preferred caterers short list and who always leave our clients with satisfied stomachs and deeply impressed.

This LGBT and woman-owned business represented all of Illinois, going all the way to the finals of Good Morning America’s ‘United States of Tacos’ competition, wowing the judging panels with their Sexy Crispy Shrimp Taco! Taste it yourself at their location on, of course, Taylor Street near UIC-Little Italy.

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We’ll also drop pins on your map for these food businesses who have excited our taste buds, but you can find these and many other great restaurants, trucks and pop-ups at Choose Chicago.

  • Shawn Michelle’s Homemade Ice Cream – Nostalgic Favors plus other homemade desserts, found in Bronzeville, suburban Olympia Fields, and a number of other outlets: www.shawnmichelles.com
  • Bronzeville Winery – A new Bronzeville restaurant celebrating its historic neighborhood and acting as a cultural incubator with events and other programming: www.bronzevillewinery.com.
  • Moor’s Brewing Co. – A Chicago brewed brand highlighting African heritage, launched on Juneteenth in 2021. Available nationally, including locally at Whole Foods: www.moorsbeer.com.

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Click here to see all upcoming public events hosted by Chicagoland businesses at Catalyst Ranch.

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