WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – A shuttle bus highlighted black-owned businesses Saturday afternoon.
Wichita residents boarded a shuttle bus for a tour of nine black-owned businesses.
“We are a black-owned business, and we’re so excited to be part of the Black Business Tour,” said Gabbie Grim, the owner of Lola’s Candle Co.
Organizers gave guests a passport to collect stamps, leading to giveaways.
“Making sure that people know they are aware that they are there, right, to kick off the Small Business Saturday as well as the holiday season, so what a perfect time to be able to do that,” said Tasha Hayes, the founder of The Blackprint.
Grim says her candle-making journey began more than 20 years ago.
“So candle making has always been a hobby for mine, and in 2020, I was at home, like many of us, and I wanted to teach my daughter about entrepreneurship,” she said.
Community leaders say it’s to bring visibility to creators in Wichita.
“What we find is that 96% of black-owned businesses don’t make it to their 50th anniversary due to the lack of visibility and resources,” said Hayes.
The goal is to encourage patronage of black-owned businesses throughout the year.
“We want to make sure that we highlight the importance of supporting these businesses year-round. A lot of times, we get great foot traffic during Black History Month, Juneteenth and Black Business Month, but other months of the year, we need your support as well,” said Hayes.
The importance: Helping small and local businesses thrive.
“There’s a lot of great black-owned businesses in the community with lots of creativity and knowledge,” said Grim.
Other locations on the tour included Greater Grounds Coffee and Co. and 2 Beatz Boutique.
To find a list of more black-owned businesses in Wichita, click here.