Culture | Neighborhoods

Black Owned Businesses, Arts & Culture in Vancouver

*header image: mural by Anthony Joseph, @adoworks

In celebration of Black excellence past and present, we’ve curated this guide to discovering Black owned businesses, arts and culture in Vancouver. This list is certainly not exhaustive, but a few favorites from our team, and meant to support you in discovering some of the city’s gems. Know one we’ve missed? Drop us a line – we love receiving our guests’ personal recommendations.

Find good vibes at Calabash Bistro

Dedicated to celebrating Caribbean culture in Vancouver, its at this laid-back eatery that you’ll find amazing food, a line-up of signature rum cocktails and a lively basement space adorned with local art and live music – Calabash Bistro. Through food, drinks, music and art, they’ve developed an unpretentious landscape that is safe and welcoming for all who visit. Enjoy Calabash’s signature dishes like jerk pork belly, slow braised oxtail, or various curry dishes before heading downstairs for late-night live entertainment on weekends.

Nut butter galore

Want to up your plant-based snack game? Look no further, Mumgry has you covered. You can grab some of its signature nut butter online now.

Treat your tastebuds at Juke Fried Chicken

Juke Fried Chicken - Vancouver Black History Month

Known for its fried chicken (with gluten-free options that you swear can’t be), sticky pork ribs, and craft beers, Juke Fried Chicken has quickly carved out a reputation for serving up an elevated-yet-fun menu, comprising of the city’s best southern-inspired fare with a side of hip hop. Next door to Juke, you’ll find their cocktail hotspot called Chickadee.

 

Bring home the good stuff

No brick-and-motor location for Kula Kitchen as they only do deliveries, but easy online ordering means you can try their Afrocentric plant-based foods that are rich in flavor, nutritious, and oh-so satisfying. Plus their line-up of signature sauces and pre-made meals means less prep after a long day of exploring the city.

Kula Kitchen - Vancouver Black History Month

Elbo Jamaican Patties, headed up by chef Christopher Boreland who wanted to bring his favorite comfort food to the west coast, serves handcrafted Jamaican patties, delicious coco bread, in-house-made chutneys and sauces available for online ordering in Vancouver.

In Vancouver’s Strathcona neighborhood on the east side, you’ll find the recently opened Rise Up Marketplace. A local shop serving up fresh baked goods, sandwiches, and a marketplace for quality-made essentials and locally-produced Caribbean favorites like Maureen’s Rum Cake and The Real Patty Co. patties.

Take a tour of the Hogan’s Alley Murals

Vancouver Mural - Black History Month

In the early 1900s, an area of the city’s Strathcona neighborhood was once a thriving cultural hub for Vancouver’s Black community, known to locals as Hogan’s Alley. In the early 70’s the building of the city’s viaducts cut through the area and entirely displaced the community. As part of reclaiming Black visibility in the area, the Black Strathcona Resurgence Project has collaborated with an intersection of local artists to create a collection of stunning murals in the area. See the map and learn more about the project here. Included in the collection is ‘Solidarity Storytelling’, created by Chinese artist Emma Xie, Indigenous artist Chase Gray, and Black artist John Sebastian. The mural is “intended for community healing and building towards our futures in solidarity in the city”.

Shop stunning fair-trade textiles from Batiqua

While Batiqua‘s bricks and mortar store is closed for now, the Vancouver-based textile maker’s online shop features a selection of brightly colored and beautifully patterned, fair-trade home goods made in Zimbabwe.

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