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Angel Gregorio’s specialty seasoning business, The Spice Suite, has always supported other black-owned businesses. She has hosted over 450 of her pop-ups for black businesses in stores in Washington DC.
Gregorio knows firsthand how expensive it can be to own commercial property in Chocolate City. Now, she’s doing her part to offer other local black-owned businesses the opportunity to have their own brick-and-mortar stores.
with $1 million investmentGregorio turned a 7,500-square-foot property in the Langdon section of Washington, D.C. into a strip mall for local Black-owned businesses.And she calls the space Black And Forth.
“We gave it this catchy and cool name to describe the process of interacting with black business owners.” Gregorio said In an interview with DCist/WAMU. “And now that’s the name of the shopping center (strip mall) I own in his DC. So I feel good about it and I’m grateful to be in the space.”
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Gregorio accessed the capital it used to buy the space through DC Commercial Real Estate Acquisition Fund, provides grants to eligible businesses to help acquire commercial real estate. The fund is part of DC Mayor Muriel Bowser’s goal to increase the city’s share of minority-owned businesses to 33% by 2028. DCist, the Bowser Administration has already awarded $4 million to 12 companies. And they plan to continue sharing the wealth.
“We will continue to invest in these kinds of things so that not only are black and brown entrepreneurs better business people, [but] It’s about building wealth that can be passed down for generations,” said an At-Large council member. McDuffie of Kenya At Black And Forth’s January 13 ribbon-cutting ceremony.
In addition to moving The Spice Suite, Black and Fore will host four other hosts. hair salon and nail salon, leases space in a refurbished shipping container. Gregorio also wants to add a Black Farmers Market in the spring.
In December Instagram postGregorio was optimistic about what Black and Force means for Black businesses and communities.
she wrote: lots of community. “
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