Best Friends In Business: Here are 5 BIPOC-owned Businesses That Began With Friendships
Happy National Best friend Day! You may have heard the cautionary tale advising not to mix pleasure with business, but these 5-BFF’s turned business partners respectfully disagree. Whether you’re considering starting a business with your bestie or looking for a new place to patron, we highlighted 5 BIPOC owned businesses showing the world what it looks like running a business with your best friend by your side.
BURNBOX PIZZA
BLACK OWNED
Best friends Shawndell Pullam and Ryan Whitfield started BurnBox Pizza as a way to give back to their neighborhood. Located in Kettering, MD, Burnbox Pizza exists to inspire healthy eating and community. Unlike their big-name competitors, the Black-Owned Pizza eatery donates a pizza for every pizza purchased to help combat the hunger crisis consuming Prince George County. The unique toppings and vegan options are far from anything you’ve ever tried. The Crab Catcher, topped with their special seafood sauce, crab meat, mozzarella, roasted red bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, and Old Bay Seasoning, is the perfect way to spend your Friday night this summer.
THE BLACK BREAD COMPANY
BLACK OWNED
You’ve heard the expression: “better than sliced bread”. Well… we can guarantee nothing tops The Black Bread Company and their heavenly selection of breads. Founded by South-Side of Chicago Natives, Mark Edmound and Jamel Lewis started the bread company after noticing the lack of representation in the grocery store aisles. The two best friends use their platform to showcase positive black images in hopes of inspiring a new generation of black entrepreneurs and building generational wealth. Purchase from your local Super Target today.
FIRE MOUNTAIN FABRICS
INDIGENOUS OWNED
Niichkiwenh (neech-ki-weh) in Ojibwe means friend and that’s exactly what Fire Mountain Fabrics’ founders, Arlene Fairbanks and Jessica Travis, call themselves. Located in Minnesota, the two besties started the fabric company with the intention of honoring their Native-American heritage. Fire Mountain Fabrics is Minnesota’s only store exclusively selling Native American fabrics. Jessica and Arlene always dreamed of owning a fabric store, but decided to make their dream a reality after receiving Arlene’s cancer diagnosis. The Minnesota fabric store is much more than an answer to a community’s need. Fire Mountain Fabric is a space to celebrate the beauty of Native culture.
PINTO THAI BISTRO & SUSHI BAR
ASIAN OWNED
Located in Seattle, WA, the Pinto Thai Bistro & Sushi Bar on Capitol Hill serves the best of both worlds. After a late night in 2009, two best friends Supada Krikpanchai and Opal Thorasumpun decided to open their own restaurant after facing a food conundrum: Sushi or Thai? The Pinto Thai Bistro was conceived that night and soon enough the two besties opened the doors to the popular Seattle based Thai/Japanese fusion bar. The Pinto Bistro & Sushi Bar serves all the things you’d find at a traditional Thai or Japanese restaurant, but with a twist – like the Samurai Pad Thai made with stir-fried Thai noodles and Japanese shrimp tempura and served with vinaigrette soy sauce.
BELLA DONA
LATINX OWNED
Bestie duo Lala Romero and Natalia Durazo started Bella Doña as a way to honor their Chicano roots. Growing up in East LA, Bella Doña is inspired by flashbacks of hot summer days; uniformed in Gold Hoops and winged eyeliner. Bella Doña acts as an open love letter for all the little brown girls who proudly represent the beauty of their Chicano roots. The LA inspired brand is more than apparel. From accessories to home decor, Bella Doña has something for everyone – no matter the neighborhood.
Do you know of a BIPOC owned business or brand that should have been included in this list or added to our directory? Email me at danielle.moore@blistey.com and we’ll check them out.
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Author: Danielle Moore
UrbAynes 
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