RICHMOND, Va. -- The 7th annual Richmond Black Restaurant Experience kicked off Sunday afternoon, starting with Mobile Soul Sunday.
More than 20 different food trucks lined up on the perimeter of Monroe Park, marking the start of a week full of celebrating Black cultural cuisine.
"Every year, every year it gets bigger and bigger and bigger. So we're just excited and we're going to rock it out," said Marlene Pegram, owner of K&M's Salmon Balls and Cakes, now on their 5th year participating in the restaurant week.
Roughly 5,000 people were expected to turn out to pay for a plate. For Pegram, that means: "Cha-ching, cha-ching, cha-ching."
In fact, the week-long event is expected to draw some $4 million, which is expected to filter down to businesses like Pegram's.
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“A lot of Black-owned businesses are small owned businesses, so we definitely want to put back into our community, into the culture," said Amais Santiaga.
“It means everything, because you just never know what the turnout is going to be," Pegram said. "You don’t know who’s going to come. You just hope and pray that people to have that taste bud in their mouth that they want your food, and they just keep coming back. So we’re excited.”
The Richmond Black Restaurant Experience runs Sunday, March 5 through Sunday, March 12. Click here for links to a full list of events, restaurant menus and more.
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