Celebrating Black Women-Owned Restaurants

Throughout the pandemic, Eat. Learn. Play. has partnered with World Central Kitchen and Community Kitchens to employ 130+ local restaurants to feed our community at a time when 37% of households in Oakland are food insecure.

This past December, our Eat. Learn. Play. co-Founder Ayesha Curry invited two Black women entrepreneurs (Chef Christina Harrison and Chef Michele McQueen) who have been a key part of this effort for a conversation about the role restaurants can continue to play in helping to meet the community’s hunger needs. She was joined by our partners at One Million Black Women, an initiative of Goldman Sachs. 

Eat. Learn. Play. has committed $250,000 to 10 different Black women-owned Oakland restaurants to provide 25,000 meals that will be served to kids + families from our Eat. Learn. Play. Bus.

During Black History Month, we continue to celebrate and bring visibility to the amazing work of these 10 entrepreneurs and their local restaurants in Oakland.

Chef Christina Harrison “Chef Lala”, JusLa Eats

Chef Reign Free, Red Door Catering Group

Chef Michele McQueen, Gussie’s Southern Table

Chef Sandra Davis, Oeste Kitchen & Bar

Chef Jana Pastena, Chop Bar | Calavera

Chef Dorcia White, Everett & Jones BBQ 

Chef Tami Rabb, DeVaughn's Cajun Kitchen

Chef Leilani Baugh, Magnolia Lounge & Kitchen

Chef Yamrout Gebremedhin, Yammy's Cafe & Deli

Chef Adiam Tsegaye, Mela's Ethiopian Bistro