March 2022: FrontPage Note

As the winter Omicron wave recedes and our communities carefully begin to gather again in person, it’s a good time to think about the role of food in our lives. Food helps us define gatherings, holidays, and personal celebrations. It also connects us to rich histories, cultures, and religious traditions. In the business world, food adds excitement to meetings and gives us energy to power through networking events, before or after a long day.   

Unfortunately, the food we eat is also part of a story of immense inequality. Even though African Americans, Native Americans, and Hispanic Americans have created some of our most iconic ‘American’ foods, these communities have had a limited ability to profit from their culinary contributions.   

At PAGE, we are doing our part to change this trend. Not only are we thrilled to announce that our first Hurdle Fund grant was awarded to Supreme Oasis Bakery, a long time West Philly culinary leader - special thanks to Allen Riddick of Drexel University for the connection - but we also have a list of recommended diverse caterers for any institution that needs help finding a supplier for an event. We know there’s more we can and should do. Small steps like clarifying your organization’s process for approving a caterer or sourcing minority caterers for events of cultural importance, can create opportunities for minority food entrepreneurs to grow. Personal steps like participating in Dine Latino Restaurant Week or Black Restaurant Week help bake diversity into our world-class culinary City. Together we can collectively grow the pie and create opportunities for our City’s diverse food entrepreneurs, which are crucial to our food culture to thrive