When local entrepreneurs Tracey and Cheri Syphax announced their official ownership of Booker’s Restaurant and Bayou Lounge in West Philadelphia last March, they did so with a grand vision in mind.
They were to change what Black ownership could look like and provide to their community, and the couple have stayed true to their mission, writes Kiara Santos for The Philadelphia Tribune.
The Syphaxes previously established themselves as business owners in Trenton, New Jersey, before expanding their business savvy to Philadelphia.
The opportunity came through a mutual friend who was contacted by the former owner to get herself out of the restaurant business to spend more time with family. According to Tracey, the former owner hoped to keep Booker’s as a neighborhood restaurant and remain Black-owned.
That’s when the Syphaxes stepped in.
Both Booker’s and the Bayou offer patrons an intimate setting to enjoy live performances and delicious food.
“We want to make sure when they walk away they feel that it was worth it,” Cheri said.
Together, the Syphaxes want to reshape Black ownership in the community by being positive examples of what that looks like.
“Black ownership now is freedom,” said Tracey.
Read more about how Tracy and Cheri Syphax aim to redefine Black ownership in the community at The Philadelphia Tribune.
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