February is Black History Month. While it is important to support the Black community all year round, this month is especially a great time to highlight the Black creators and entrepreneurs here in Tucson.
Tucson is home to so many unique small businesses and restaurants. Below are a few Black-owned businesses we recommend checking out.
Let us know what other businesses you love to support in the comments below!
Urban Fresh
Located downtown, Urban Fresh is the perfect spot for anyone looking to eat a healthier, plant-based diet. The restaurant is run and operated by Chauncy and Dana Padilla, who took over the restaurant in 2015. Six years later, they have cultivated a true community of people who are passionate about good food and fresh ingredients.
Their ingredients are locally sourced, which not only supports the Tucson community but provides patrons with the freshest, tastiest options. The Padillas want to make vegan food as affordable and delicious as possible. The restaurant is constantly experimenting with new items and different dishes are featured daily. A few of these specials include a mushroom stroganoff, lentil sloppy joe, crunchwrap, and chili mac- all vegan!
They are open Monday-Friday 10 AM to 2 PM. Their location on Pennington makes it the perfect lunch option while working at La Suprema! Check out their website to learn more.
Ignis Clothing
Ignis Clothing is a streetwear fashion concept created by Ian Urquhart in 2017. The brand started a school project and evolved into a small business. Ignis comes from the Latin word of fire, which is the inspiration for the brand. Ignis clothing offers a variety of shirts, sweatpants, hoodies, and jackets.
Accessories such as phone cases and stickers are also available. Ian is a member with us at La Suprema and we are happy to support his business and hope to see it grow! Shop the brand here.
Angevi Cosmetics
The founder of Angevi Cosmetics is originally from Togo, Africa, and makes specialty skin and hair care products. The skin and hair care products are all organic and use plant extracts and essential oils. The products are specifically formulated for natural hair and curls. Their products aim to promote hair health, help hair growth, fight hair loss, dandruff, and strengthen roots.
Check out their website for more information and to purchase products.
The Red Light Lounge at the Downtown Clifton
The Downtown Clifton is a unique, historic spot located in Barrio Viejo. The hotel was built in 1948 and restored in 2014. The Red Light Lounge was added as part of an expansion in 2019. The “Sonoran modern” spot offers a chef-crafted cuisine menu alongside signature cocktails.
They are open for lunch Monday-Friday 10 AM to 3 PM and dinner 5 - 10 PM every day. The menu was crafted with Tucson in mind and aims to put a local flair on traditional Mexican and American dishes. A few menu items include beer-battered cauliflower tacos, mole verde, and squid ink pasta. The Red Light Lounge has a rotating list of specials that can be found on their Facebook page.
Roux Events
Ashley La Russa founded Roux Events in 2019 as a way to bring the community closer together while revitalizing economic development with business and cultural organizations. After a career of gaining management experience and working in the community, Ashley branched off and created Roux Events. The company offers a host of services, including marketing, client management, vendor referral, project management, and equity, diversity, and inclusion consulting.
Past events include Black Renaissance, a celebration of Black artists in Arizona, Arizona Arts Fest, and I Love the 90’ Pajama Jam to name a few. Ashley’s latest project is Blax Friday, a directory and community of Black-owned businesses in Tucson.
Created Power 4 You
Created Power 4 You is a small business selling specialty blends of tea. The business is owned by our very own Nardia Graham. Nardia started her business after an accident left her in pain and the only thing easing her pain was natural herbs.
After her experience with different blends of herbs, she decided to create a product to sell to others to help them as well. Their creations of herbal teas include a variety of red teas. Rooibos, Honey Blush, Sutherlandia, and Hoodia make up the unique blends. The teas offer remedies for different things, including anxiety, IBS, kidney stones, and more.
Shop her teas here.
Power and Exercise Fitness Center
This Black-owned gym prides itself on having experienced personal trainers that cater fitness and meal plans around individuals and their specific goals. Along with personal training, yoga and fitness boot camps are offered.
Lawrence Simenez, head personal trainer, has 10 years of experience in the field of personal training, strength, and conditioning, and exercise therapy. Power and Exercise Fitness Center welcomes people of all ages and fitness levels to transform their lives. Check out their website for more information and Facebook page for client transformations.
What are your favorite Black-owned businesses to support? Let us know below. If you know or own a business looking for office space, come tour La Suprema & see if our space can work for you!
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