Black-owned businesses are booming in downtown Phoenix
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Archwood Community Resource Empowerment Strategy founders M. Ali Nervis, Stacy Best-Nervis, Havana Hunt and Henry Dickerson. Photo: Courtesy of Downtown Phoenix Inc.
Nearly a third of new businesses opened in downtown Phoenix last year are owned by Black entrepreneurs, according to Downtown Phoenix Inc.
Why it matters: The business boom is a result of roughly a decade of work incubating small businesses owned by people of color to create a more "interesting, inclusive and dynamic downtown," Downtown Phoenix Inc. marketing director Skyler Scott told Axios.
State of play: Scott credited Archwood Community Resource Empowerment Strategy (ACRES) with paving the way for more Black entrepreneurship downtown.
- ACRES — led by the owners of Straw & Wool, Stardust & Sage, Grassrootz Books & Juice Bar and Brownstone Spa — launched in 2016 to provide resources and support to people from underserved communities looking to break into business.
- The organization has assisted more than 400 small businesses since its launch through its community retail space, incubator program and monthly Buy Black Marketplace events.
The intrigue: Several new businesses opened in the past few years have come directly out of ACRES, while others have flocked downtown because of the welcoming atmosphere the group sparked, Scott said.
- There are now 34 Black-owned businesses in the 1.7-square-mile downtown core, including nonprofits, restaurants and retailers.
Zoom in: The Glow-Frame Initiative is a nonprofit that opened at the Arizona Center last year to help people of color get training and hands-on experience in the film and AV industries.
- Executive director Irin Daniels, a Phoenix native who spent the start of his career in the film industry in Los Angeles, said he often felt lonely on sets because there wasn't much diversity among his colleagues.
- When Arizona relaunched a tax incentive for film and TV production in 2023, Daniels saw an opportunity to develop a diverse workforce to accommodate the increased opportunities coming to the state.
- "I came back to Phoenix with a lot of energy and I want to try to create an industry out here that will be sustainable," Daniels told us.
Evelia Davis opened the pan-African restaurant Latha and an adjoining marketplace dubbed The Diaspora Collective at Heritage Square in 2023.
- After traveling to Africa, the Caribbean and Brazil, she wanted to create a gathering place in Phoenix to celebrate the food, arts and culture of the African diaspora.
- She told us downtown Phoenix, with its diverse patrons and residents, had the right energy for the "eat, drink and vibe" ambiance she wanted to bring to her business.
What they're saying: "There are a lot more Black and brown businesses opening up in downtown Phoenix," Davis said. "It creates more opportunities for other businesses. It's a community that's very supportive of each other."
What's next: Downtown Phoenix Inc. is hosting its second annual Can I Kick It? event this Saturday to celebrate Black History Month.
- DJ duo Shaolin Jazz from Washington, D.C., will live-score a soundtrack on top of the movie "Men in Black" during a special screening at Civic Space Park.
- The Buy Black Marketplace will also pop up at the park during the event.