Celebrate the diversity of cuisine at the 2023 Kansas City Black Restaurant Week

Event highlights culinary talents of local chefs, restauranteurs and social entrepreneurs

It’s no secret that 98% of professional chefs prefer cooking with natural gas.* And as a natural gas provider, we believe it’s our responsibility to support local chefs and restaurants through sponsorships and special programs to highlight their talents.

Celebrating the diversity of cuisine 

The National Restaurant Association reports thatn in 2022, only 7% of restaurants in Missouri were owned by African Americans.

The Black Restaurant Week organization wants to change that statistic by supporting and uplifting the flavors of African American, African and Caribbean cuisine. 

“Black Restaurant Week to me is an opportunity to really celebrate the diversity of cuisine within our culture,” said Warren Luckett, the founder of Black Restaurant Week. “Our main mission is to drive awareness of these businesses and to drive revenue.”

Spire is once again proud to provide support for this year’s event.

“At Spire, we deliver good energy wherever we can. Restaurants are some of our most supportive customers—and many of the restaurants you’ll see on the Kansas City Black Restaurant Week list are staples in the community,” said Steve Mills, president of Spire Missouri. “We hope the rest of the community joins us in celebrating black-owned restaurants during Black Restaurant Week, and throughout the rest of the year.” 

During the 2022 event, Spire created the “Nourishing Communities” award as part of the event’s Black Plate Award. The special Spire award was created to celebrate a local chef, restaurant owner or social entrepreneur who goes above and beyond to make a difference in the lives of others in the Kansas City community. Attendees and community members have the chance to cast their vote for the individual they believe has an impact on the community. 

Last year’s Nourishing Communities award winner was Chris Goode of Ruby Jean’s Juicery. After witnessing his late grandmother’s health journey, Chris was inspired to find a healthier dietary path for everyone, so he launched Ruby Jean's Juicery in her honor in 2015. 
 

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The 2023 Black Restaurant Week takes place between September 10 – September 24, 2023. Visit BlackRestaurantWeeks.com to get a list of participating restaurants you can support.  

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