Gwinnettians are proud to live in one of the most diverse counties in the Southeast and this diversity carries over to the wide variety of black-owned restaurants and shops. We have been working hard to curate an updated list of Black-owned restaurants, spas, artists, and other tourism-related businesses in Gwinnett. Here are few of our favorites to start exploring.
For restaurants, don’t miss Country Pepper in Suwanee, where you’ll find tangy and fiery Jamaican favorites. While they recently closed their Peachtree Corners storefront, The Blaxican’s Food Truck, full of delicious Mexican and Soul Food Fusion eats, can be found around Gwinnett every week. You can never go wrong with brunch, and Famous Toastery’s “breakfast, lunch and brunch all the time” is the one of the best. One of my new post-shopping must-stops is Snellville’s Escovitchez, a chill Caribbean eatery whose Calypso Cauliflower is my go-to snack. Other favorites include the newly opened Freeze Cream in Norcross, kid-friendly Dazzle Dogs in Dacula, downtown Duluth’s Epicurean Café for a chef-driven meal and coffee at West Main Trade in Buford.
For those still choosing to shelter-in-place, online orders from Aunt Evelyn’s Peach Cobbler, Shmore Boards, (luxury cheese and dessert boards), Breezy Cakes in Norcross or vegan snacks from Shawnee’s Goodies in Snellville are ways to surprise loved ones or jazz up your dinner table. Our list of 50 plus Black-owned restaurants encompasses a wide range of cuisines, including Jamaican, African, soul food, barbeque, juices, Southern Fusion, coffee houses, Hot dogs, barbeque and more.
Black-owned clothing shops and boutiques are spread all over the county, with the occasional celebrity connection thrown in. Well-known celeb NeNe Leakes (Real Housewives of Atlanta) owns Swagg Boutique, a clothing, shoes, and accessories boutique at Sugarloaf Mills. High-end sneaker and streetwear enthusiasts will not want to miss LVRG by Capitalist Sneaker Boutique in Snellville, and bargain hunters are likely to score a deal at Soje Emporium in downtown Lawrenceville, a great little consignment shop for apparel, shoes, and accessories.
For shoppers still at home – order fabulous plus-sized apparel, plus designer face masks and headwraps at www.jibrionline.com. Local designer Jasmine Elder’s bold designs have been worn by many singers & celebrities including Jill Scott, Tess Holiday, Gabourey Sidibe, Amber Riley and Brittany Howard (Alabama Shakes).
A frequent request is nightlife for both adults and kids. For adults, a night out at the Atlanta Comedy Theatre in Norcross is a great way to enjoy top national touring comedy headliners (think BET, Comedy Central and SNL), enjoy a weekend executive chef menu and enjoy an adult night out. And when the kids want to get-away – they check into the Pink Hotel, Gwinnett’s favorite kid hotel, where choices run the gamut from overnight spa parties, overnight cupcake wars and man cave packages.
We’re adding to our list (www.exploregwinnett.org/the-latest/black-owned-businesses-to-check-out-in-gwinnett) every day, and it’s been shared hundreds of times on social media. If you have a favorite that is not on the list, please share with us and we will make sure to include! Our blog posts in the upcoming months will begin featuring local, minority owned tourism businesses who we feel our locals will want to know about!