29. Putting Diversity on the Tech Menu | EatOkra

Limited resources, support, and a lack of digital presence are a few things black-owned restaurants, in particular, struggle with. EatOkra - an community that directly connects consumers with Black-owned restaurants - is here to change that.

Host Rob Grimes is joined by EatOkra Co-Founder Anthony Edwards Jr., and Head of Sales Andre Ferguson. They discuss the inception of EatOkra, including challenges Anthony witnessed his parents facing while operating an events and catering company. Combining an application development background, with a passion for foodservice, Anthony and his co-founder and wife Janique, brought together a team with a wealth of industry experience such as Andre’s who previously worked with UberEATS and Cloud Kitchens.

EatOkra uses technology to empower black food communities through exposure, celebration, and access to developmental resources. They recently celebrated over half a million users and over 9,500 listings.

When it comes to observations about why black restaurants are slower in adopting technology into their restaurants, Anthony notes there is skepticism when it comes to corporate technology. “It’s in the messenger. A lot of companies are sending people that don’t look like them into their communities to sell a product to them.”

If you want to learn more about EatOkra’s mission, the rise of the black restaurant community, and partnership between EatOkra and IFBTA - listen to this episode of Accelerate.