How two Black entrepreneurs are defying the odds in Philly with a bacon restaurant
Justin Coleman and Kelvin Alexander’s Bake’n Bacon is an example of how Black businesses are innovating to create new culinary experiences and overcoming the challenges of being Black men in an industry lacking diverse leadership.
Justin Coleman’s business idea came to him in a dream. After the tragic passing of his brother Derek, Justin wrestled with grief but felt a sliver of hope when Derek’s image appeared during his sleep one night.
“This is about maybe two to three months after he passed away. He was almost leading me to breadcrumbs to find him. I finally found him on a food truck,” Coleman tells theGrio. “He was like, ‘I’m staying here. This is your idea for the food truck.’”
Coleman joined forces with his friend Kelvin Alexander, a fellow food talent who has loved to cook and bake throughout his life, to flesh out the idea. Both men took leaps of faith by leaving their day jobs. What started as a food truck concept evolved into multiple trucks and a restaurant – the first of its kind in Philadelphia –called Bake’n Bacon that put the household staple of bacon center stage.
“I always like to say if you think of Beyoncé and she’s the lead person, then you have your background dancers, your background singers, your lighting people, your stage crew. That’s kind of how I made the menu, where bacon is the star of the show. That’s something that we are really proud of,” says Coleman.
Bacon has made headlines for becoming an increasingly popular food in the United States.
Bake’n Bacon has capitalized on that love while having the range to make foodies everywhere applaud with delight. From bacon mac ‘n cheese to bacon buffalo chicken sandwiches, traditional bacon, egg, and cheese to homemade French toast with bacon caramel sauce, Coleman and Alexander have set out to make a diverse array of foods well while keeping to their central savory theme of bacon.
Food fans are loving it, generating an engaged Instagram following for the restaurant and hundreds of positive ratings online via platforms like Google Reviews. The brand has even branched out into catering and dessert creation, with treats like chocolate-covered bacon. But Bake’n Bacon’s success doesn’t mean the two entrepreneurs haven’t had to fight for every win that’s under their belt.
“It’s difficult being a business owner, but being a Black business owner is a whole other feat,” Alexander tells theGrio. “You have to deal with the stereotypical thought processes and the narrow-mindedness that people have where they want you to be pigeonholed into a certain food category. Folks expect you to come out right out of the box doing soul food, or they’re looking for you to do platters. And that’s just not something that we want to do. We want to be outside of the box.”
As Black men, Coleman and Alexander have to rise above any stereotypes about their business capabilities as well.
“When it comes to rules and regulations for the city or the city of Philadelphia, tax issues, the different things that people face on a normal basis, we have to…smile and then navigate through it intelligently in order to show that we do know what we’re doing and we’re smart individuals,” Alexander adds.
Both men recognize the rare position of power they hold as restaurant leaders and report experiencing pushback at times from people who are uncomfortable with it. According to the National Restaurant Association, only 9% of restaurants are Black- or African-American-owned. The organization reports that Black people are also underrepresented as chefs and culinary leaders in upscale restaurants.
“When we hold people accountable to what is written or what contracts say, it’s almost like, ‘Well, how dare you challenge me?’ So we’ve run into that a lot,” Coleman says. “But I think one thing for us is that we know that if God says yes, there’s nobody that can say no. It may slow up the process a bit. But it’s all about how you posture yourself, posture yourself within those waiting moments where God is like, truly trying to show you who you are and who you’re supposed to be in him.”
As Black Business Month comes to a close, both Coleman and Alexander are thankful for the support they receive from the Black community and encourage people to continue to learn about what entrepreneurs face as they try to break through barriers – even when it seems a business is already doing well.
“People will look at Instagram and see like, OK, we have people in the restaurant, but there’s a whole other business side… There’s payroll, there’s managing people, there’s making sure that your food quality is consistent, and still good each and every time that it goes out,” Coleman adds.
“We’re making sure that people that look like us can feed their families. We’re making sure that they’re in a safe environment where they feel seen and heard each and every day. They’re not a number. So it[‘s] more than just, we’re serving you food. We’re creating a culture within our establishment that is safe for our folks. We want it to be where, ‘I’m supporting, because these are two young Black men that are doing their thing. And I want to support this venture because they set out on faith. They believe in God, they’re good individuals, and they have great food.’”
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