Lifestyle
How Two Black Entrepreneurs Defy Philly Adversity to Open a Bacon Restaurant
Justin Coleman’s business idea got here to him in a dream. After the tragic death of his brother Derek, Justin struggled with grief but felt a glimmer of hope when Derek’s image appeared in his sleep one night.
Coleman teamed up together with his friend Kelvin Alexander, one other culinary talent who loved cooking and baking his entire life, to develop the concept. Both men took a leap of religion, quitting their day jobs. What began as a food truck concept grew into multiple food trucks and a restaurant—the primary of its kind in Philadelphia—called Baked bacon which has made the household staple of bacon a focus.
“I always like to say that if you think of Beyoncé and she’s the main character, you have your background dancers, your background singers, your lighting people, your stage crew. That’s how I created the menu where the bacon is the star of the show. That’s something we’re really proud of,” Coleman says.
Bacon has hit the front pages of newspapers becoming an increasingly popular dish within the United States.
Bake’n Bacon has tapped into that love while also having a lineup that makes foodies in every single place clap their hands in delight. From bacon mac and cheese to buffalo chicken sandwiches with bacon, traditional bacon, egg and cheese to homemade French toast with bacon caramel sauce, Coleman and Alexander set out to create a number of dishes while sticking to their core, savory bacon theme.
Food fans find it irresistible, generating an engaged Instagram following for the restaurant and a whole lot of positive online reviews through platforms like Google Reviews. The brand has even branched out into catering and dessert creation, offering treats like chocolate-covered bacon. But Bake’n Bacon’s success does not imply the 2 entrepreneurs have not had to fight for each win they have.
As black men, Coleman and Alexander must also rise above any stereotypes about their business abilities.
“When it comes to city or Philadelphia rules and regulations, tax issues, different things that people deal with on a daily basis, we need to… smile and then deal with them intelligently to show that we know what we’re doing and we’re smart people,” Alexander added.
Both men are aware of the rare position of power they hold as restaurant leaders, they usually report that they often encounter resistance from individuals who feel uncomfortable with it. According to National Restaurant AssociationOnly 9% of restaurants are black or African American owned. The organization reports that blacks are also underrepresented as chefs and culinary leaders in high-end restaurants.
“When we hold people accountable to what’s written or what the contracts say, it’s almost like, ‘Well, how dare you call me names?’ So we’ve run into that a lot,” Coleman says. “But I think one thing for us is that if God says yes, there’s no one who can say no. That can slow the process down a little bit. But it all comes down to how you position yourself, how you position yourself in those waiting moments when God is there, really trying to show you who you are and who you should be in Him.”
As Black Business Month comes to a close, Coleman and Alexander are grateful for the support they receive from the Black community, they usually encourage people to proceed to find out about what entrepreneurs face as they fight to break down barriers — even when it looks as if your corporation is already doing well.
“People will look at Instagram and they’ll see, ‘OK, we have people in the restaurant, but there’s another side to the business… There’s payroll, there’s managing people, there’s making sure the quality of the food is consistent and still good every time it’s served,’” Coleman adds.
“We’re making sure that people who look like us can feed their families. We’re making sure that they’re in a safe environment where they feel seen and heard every day. They’re not a number. So it’s more than just, we’re serving you food. We’re creating a culture in our establishment that’s safe for our people. We want it to be like, ‘I support because these are two young black men doing their thing. And I want to support this venture because they stepped out on faith. They believe in God, they’re good people, and they have great food.'”