Washington DC's Anacostia neighborhood is seeing growth in Black entrepreneurship. Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser will visit three Black-owned businesses supported by the District’s Food Access Fund and Neighborhood Prosperity Fund. The businesses include Sweet Tooth Cafe and Cakes, Sapodilla’s Caribbean Restaurant, and Grounded, all contributing to the local economy.
The tour will start at 11 am with Sweet Tooth Cafe and Cakes, according to the Office of the Mayor website. Mayor Bowser will also engage with Samantha Abrams, founder of Sapodilla’s Caribbean Restaurant, highlighting her commitment to supporting entrepreneurs. The tour will conclude at Grounded, a plant shop, café, and wellness studio, reflecting the diversity of Black-owned businesses in the area.
Mayor Bowser will be joined by Nina Albert, Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, Rosemary Suggs-Evans, Director of the Department of Small and Local Business Development, and the business owners, including Steve Thomas of Sweet Tooth Cafe and Cakes and the co-founders of Grounded, Mignon Hemsley and Danuelle Doswell. Each stop showcases the growth of Black businesses in Anacostia.
The grand opening of Sapodilla's Caribbean Restaurant is a key moment in this effort. The public is invited to join the ribbon-cutting at 11:30 a.m. at Sapodilla’s, with a visit to Grounded at noon. A live feed of the event will be available online for those unable to attend in person.
Press interested in covering the event must RSVP to [email protected]. The locations are easily accessible from Anacostia Metro Station, with Bikeshare available at MLK & Marion Barry Ave SE. For more details, visit mayor.dc.gov/live or watch the stream on Channel 16 (DCN) or Mayor Bowser’s official Facebook or X.
