Celebrating Black-Owned Businesses

Black-Owned Businesses in Seattle Southside

Here in Seattle Southside, we’re lucky to be home to the most diverse ZIP code in Washington state, so celebrating diversity is an important part of who we are. In honor of Black History Month, we wanted to highlight local Black-owned businesses working in a variety of fields around Seattle Southside.

After all, Black History isn’t just something that happened in the past – it’s being made every day by the vibrant and beautiful Black communities, businesses, and people around us working to build a better future for all.

Moyo Kitchen co-owners Mwanahamisi Moyo and Batulo Nuh

Credit: Denise Miller for Global to Local

Moyo Kitchen

Mwanahamisi Moyo (or Mwana for short) leads with heart every day with her authentic Zanzibarian restaurant Moyo Kitchen, which is part of the Spice Bridge Global Food Hall. Why with heart? Mwana says, “my last name, and the first name of my business is Moyo. Moyo is also Swahili for ‘heart.’ I prepare my food from my heart.” Her journey brought her to Washington from Zanzibar, Tanzania in 1998 with her two children, and though she had hoped to open a restaurant from those early days, she found difficult to get started. Mwana was introduced to the local Food Innovation Network (FIN) Cultural Outreach Specialist Program in 2019 which helped her get started, and by 2020 she was able to open Moyo Kitchen as a part of FIN’s Spice Bridge, which serves as an incubator program for aspiring restauranteurs and caterers. Now she takes pride in her ability to give back to the community, saying that “the most rewarding thing about owning my own business is giving back to the community and sharing a part of my culture with others. When my children’s school had multicultural day, I loved sharing my food with them. I have cooked for newly arrived refugees, and immigrants, the Tukwila High School after school program and for homeless shelters.” Knowing that her food can make a difference and give back to the diverse community of Tukwila helps to fill the heart that drives her and keeps her motivated.

Juanrean Cooper, owner of Legacy Gaming in Tukwila Washington, smiles and clasps his hands during an interview at his business.

Juanrean Cooper, owner of Legacy Gaming Community

Credit: Sean Puno, Creative Services Manager

Legacy Gaming Community

Making a difference is also a huge motivator for Juanrean Cooper of Legacy Gaming Community, who has not only built a fantastic gaming lounge featuring PCs, consoles, and VR gaming, but he’s using the platform his business provides to build a nonprofit that mentors kids who are interested in careers in STEM. Juanrean wants to help keep the “light going with the young people, because it was taught to me. We can do anything we put our mind to…we want to empower.” By building a place where kids who might not be able to afford to own the latest and greatest in videogaming technology can play with and learn from that tech is a huge boon for growing diversity in the field of gaming and tech in general. You can learn more about Juanrean Cooper in our in-depth interview that we recently did with him.

Caroline Musitu, owner of Taste of Congo

Credit: Denise Miller for Global to Local

Taste of Congo

Inspiration being passed down from generation to generation can come in many forms, including at the dinner table. Caroline Musitu, owner of Taste of Congo which, like Moyo Kitchen, operates out of the Spice Bridge Food Hall, is inspired by her mother’s cooking in all her dishes. After seeing a distinct lack of Congolese representation in the restaurant business, she decided to start her own. According to Caroline, the best thing about owning her own business (aside from allowing her to be flexible and make her own decisions) is, “meeting new people, and the chance to impact my community.” She also added that the cultural diversity and convenient location near the airport are what make Tukwila the perfect home for Taste of Congo.

Creole Soul

Hampton Isom saw as soon as he arrived in the Pacific Northwest that something was missing. His beloved Southern cuisine was missing from the local culinary scene, and with his experience working in the restaurant industry and owning other restaurants gave him the experience he needed to open Creole Soul, which started as a food truck and then became a brick and mortar restaurant serving up fried catfish, etouffee, gumbo, muffuletta and more delicious Creole specialties. He brings inspiration from his mother and grandmother to give that delicious taste of home to his dishes.

Cubanos on Wheels

The taste of home is also a huge inspiration to Collette Brackett of Cubanos on Wheels, whose grandmother instilled a deep love of food which was honed by many aunties along the way. Collette serves up Cuban fusion cuisine with incredible flavors. She loves “seeing peoples’ faces when they try my food...and having my daughters and grandchildren in the restaurant with me.” Collette also says she loves how supportive the Des Moines community has been of her business.

...And So Much More

In Burien, Time Tunnel Records' Matt Alston opened his store to pay homage to the nostalgia of record shops he loved to go to as a child. Whether you're flipping through vinyl or browsing the casettes and CDs (isn't it weird that CDs are vintage now?), you'll find something to sonically soothe your soul. And if you're looking for home goods, decor, and gifts, The Shoppe Seahurst has a focus on local flair curated by owner Beka Atwood.

There are many more wonderful Black-owned businesses in Seattle Southside. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of Black-owned businesses; we just wanted to shine a spotlight on a few of the people and stories of Seattle Southside. If you are interested in a more comprehensive list of Black-owned businesses in the region, you can find lists both on the Urban League website and on the Tukwila Blog.

Traveling While Black also visited Seattle Southside and checked out some of our local Black-Owned Businesses as well!