Madison Black Restaurant Week to Honor Ms. Milele Chikasa Anana

Posted on by Josie Brandmeier

MADISON, Wis. –  More than 30 restaurants, food carts, caterers and specialty food service providers will honor the legacy of Ms. Milele Chikasa Anana during the fifth annual Madison Black Restaurant Week, taking place Sunday, Aug. 16 through Sunday, Aug. 23. Affectionately known as Ms. Milele, the pioneer behind the week-long event, which is aimed at increasing visibility and patronage of Black-owned restaurants in Dane County, passed away in May at the age of 86.

“Ms. Milele’s life’s work was to empower Black businesses and creating Black Restaurant Week was something she was very proud of,” Madison Black Chamber President Camille Carter said. “The same characteristics she displayed, including passion, dedication and integrity, I see in our local black restaurants.”

Due to COVID-19, the week has been designed to meet customer safety and confidence levels.New this year, is the launch of the online webstore and app, Marketplace BRW (available on the chamber’s website), which will give customers the opportunity to pre-order items from participating caterers, dessert preparers and specialty shops. The app is available on both iOS and Android devices and will launch Aug. 16 and will be open for pre-order sales through Aug. 19.Customers will be able to pick up their orders from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 23 in the Feed Kitchen (1219 N. Sherman Ave.) parking lot.

Additionally, a Strolling Walk Up & To-Go Jamboree Taste will take place the same day from 2-5 p.m. at the same location. The event will feature $5 samples entrees by caterers and food carts and follow extra safety precautions to help ensure social distancing for the health and wellness of visitors and vendors.

“Due to the current circumstances, locals will find that we’ve made several enhancements to Black Restaurant Week so they can still enjoy a full experience of Black culture, cuisine and talents of numerous Black-owned businesses, but in a safe and socially responsible manner,” Carter said.

Online ordering (beginning Aug. 16) and a full list of participants can be found at http://www.madisonblackchamber.com/black-restaurant-week/.

About Madison Black Chamber of Commerce

The Madison Black Chamber of Commerce is a group of community members working to empower African American/Black people to cultivate and expand entrepreneurship. We believe that Black-owned businesses contribute significantly to the economic well-being of Madison.

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