TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — A directory created during the pandemic to highlight Black-owned businesses is getting ready to celebrate its fifth anniversary.
Blax Friday has become a vital resource for entrepreneurs in Arizona, helping connect them with customers and expanding their reach.
One of the businesses part of the directory is Chef Brian’s Comfort Kitchen, owned by Chef Brian Hill. Hill remembers a couple who recently came in after finding him through the platform.
“They found me because of Blax Friday. That’s exactly how they found me,” Hill said.
The directory, which was founded by Ashley La Russa in 2020, started with just 150 businesses. Today, it includes more than 2,000 Black-owned businesses across Arizona.
“It takes a community. A community to let us know what businesses we're missing, how to locate them, if they have a new address, or if they're now decided to become a brick-and-mortar versus e-commerce,” La Russa explained.
Blax Friday allows users to easily search for Black-owned businesses in their area through a user-friendly app. The platform provides key details like addresses, phone numbers, and websites to make it easier for customers to connect with these businesses.
Hill emphasized the importance of having such a directory, particularly for the Black community. “That’s what folks like me and the folks that look like me need,” he said.
“It's so important demographically here in Arizona because we make up just under 5% as a statewide population. And when it comes to Black-owned businesses, that makes up about 1.5%,” La Russa said.
Thanks to the app, businesses like Chef Brian’s Comfort Kitchen are gaining visibility. The app has been downloaded more than 600,000 times, a milestone that is helping to bring more success to entrepreneurs like Hill.
“That’s huge because I know that’s more coming, and I know that that’s sustainability. That’s where you can keep in business for 20, 30, 40 years because of that kind of network,” Hill said. “That’s really a network. That’s the nucleus outside of your cooking and your customer service. That’s the nucleus of your success.”
Looking ahead, La Russa plans to expand the directory’s reach beyond Arizona, with aspirations to bring the network to businesses in Nevada and New Mexico.
“Black-owned businesses. Here we come,” she said.
The platform helps Black-owned businesses not only during Black History Month, but every day.
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Maria Staubs joined KGUN 9 as a multimedia journalist and producer in July of 2024. Her passion for writing and storytelling stems from anchoring her middle school’s news show and editing her high school’s yearbook. She holds a bachelor's degree in journalism and mass communication with a minor in film and media production, as well as a master's degree in mass communication. You can email Maria at maria.staubs@kgun9.com or reach out to her on X/Twitter or Instagram.
