Table of Contents
By Brianna Williams and Haley Tyler
The origins of Black History Month date back to 1915, and since 1976, every U.S. president has designated the month of February as a celebration of achievements by Black America.
We also take this month to specifically recognize Black Americans’ contributions to our history.
Here at NOOGAtoday, we are saluting 80+ Black-owned Chattanooga businesses. Cheers to all you do to elevate our local community + economy. 🙏
Let us know if we missed your favorite Black-owned, Chattanooga-area business in the form below.
🥘 Food
🍴Restaurants
- Big Jeff’s BBQ | 4272 Bonny Oaks Dr. | Established in 2015, Big Jeff’s BBQ is run by Jeff Bowens Sr. and Jeff Bowens Jr. featuring their signature smoked ribs + pulled pork and chicken that is served with fresh sides daily.
- Blue Orleans | 1463 Market St. | Located on the corner of Market and Main, Blue Orleans is a staple in Chattanooga for seafood + New Orleans cuisine.
- Chattanooga Cigar Club | 1518 Market St. | If you’re looking for premium hand-rolled cigars and speakeasy-style cocktails, look no further than the Chattanooga Cigar Club.
- Chattanooga Wing Factory | 2109 McCallie Ave. | A delicious wing spot that has options for everyone (vegan options too). We recommend trying the empanadas.
- Chatter Box Café | 6801 Shallowford Rd. | With many options like ribs + brisket, Chatter Box Cafe is a great place to enjoy BBQ with friends and family.
- Chicken-W-Bones | 6227 Lee Hwy. | At Chicken-W-Bones, all you need to do is choose a bucket size and fill it with the chicken + fixings of your choice.
- C&W Cafe | 1501 E. 23rd St. | Enjoy a wide selection of Southern soul food at C&W cafe with a rotating daily special.
- Davis Wayne’s | 9454 Bradmore Ln., Ooltewah | With Davis Wayne’s soul food + cocktail selection, you’re sure to enjoy your meal. Try the jerk pork tenderloin or oven-roasted chicken.
- Havens Diner | 4817 Hwy 58 | A classic meat-and-three diner with dishes like hamburger steak, fresh collard greens + dessert selections.
- Herman’s Soul Food + Catering | 3821 Brainerd Rd. | Grab yourself a platter of catfish or lemon-pepper chicken from Herman’s + a dessert too.
- Lil Mama’s Chicago Style Hoagy | 818 Georgia Ave | Enjoy Chicago-style hoagies from Lil Mama’s. Try the OG and let us know what you think.
- Memo’s Grill | 430 E. MLK Blvd. | A local joint with hot dogs, chili + milkshakes.
- Off the Grill by Chef Q | 4848 Hixson Pike | Buy meat by the pound or enjoy a hefty selection of BBQ, hot dogs, ribs + fresh sides.
- Old Plantation BBQ | 1515 Dodson Ave. | This BBQ restaurant is focused on pulled pork, pork ribs, and beef, with plenty of your favorite sides, like coleslaw + beans.
- Plant Power Cafe and Juice Bar | 6215 Lee Hwy. | A mouthwatering vegan spot that serves both food, juices + smoothies.
- Seafood King Genes | 3230 Wilcox Blvd. | Seafood King Genes has a variety of platters. Try their lobster plate or seafood platter.
- Sunset BBQ + Lounge | 964 Dodson Ave. | This spot has been serving up barbecue since the early 1940s.
- The Crab Trap | 4803 Brainerd Rd. | Crab plates, lobster plates, shrimp plates...oh my! The Crab Trap has all of your seafood needs.
- The Flaming Rooster | 1900 Broad St. | The Flaming Rooster has chicken in all shapes and sizes + specials like Hot Dolla Wing Wednesdays.
- Together Cafe | 801 S. Orchard Knob Ave. | This coffee shop brings awareness to human trafficking crimes one cup at a time.
- Uncle Larry’s Restaurant | 736 E. MLK Blvd., 5203 Brainerd Rd., 4850 Hwy. 58 | With three locations, Uncle Larry’s has been serving some of the most crave-able fried fish in Chattanooga for over eight years.
📱Catering/online ordering
- Chatt Taste | Tours + Online | Chatt Taste offers food tours around Chattanooga, as well as a “Taste of Chatt” food subscription box.
- Chef Express | Online | Catering | Chef Express offers an array of food for catering + bartending services.
- Fud Vybez | Harbor Hills Rd. (various locations) | Enjoy soul food with a Caribbean flair from Fud Vybez mobile catering.
- Jussa 2 Chics | Online ordering | Jussa 2 Chics offers vegan food options and they are on a mission for “healthy living, laughing hard, and eating great food.”
- Not Your Mama’s Greens | Catering + online ordering | Order “Pans for the Fam’’ or one of their “Hot and Ready Plates.” They also offer classes + catering.
🍩 Desserts
- Cake Mommy Sweet Treats | Online | Cheesecakes, pound cakes, + more, including cake pops and Rice Krispy treats.
- Chattanooga Bread Puddings | Online | With over 20 flavors of bread puddings, you’re sure to find one that you love.
- Cocoa Asante | Online | Cocoa Asante offers an array of decadent chocolates and truffles.
- The Chatty Cookie | Instagram | Their website says “something new is on the way.” Let us know the scoop ASAP.
- The Cupcake Club | 2900 Henderson Ave. NW, Cleveland | Choose from a selection of packages from The Cupcake Club. They have over 60 flavors.
🛍️ Retail
- Awoken CHA | Online | Custom T-shirt, sweatshirt, and apparel store with hundreds of vinyl colors to choose from.
- EnF Expressions | Online | This biz features a variety of products like sweatshirts, fanny packs, ankle bracelets, and more.
- For His Glory Jewelry | Online | This handmade jewelry includes a variety of styles from dangling earrings to studs.
- Holy Man Beard Essentials | Online | A one-stop shop for all of your beard essentials, from beard balm + conditioner to premium beard oil.
- Jans Jubliee | Online | Shop this local Etsy store for a variety of decorative pillows, home decor, and gifts.
- Kwonnies Enchanted Moonstones | Kwonnies sells beautiful bracelets, anklets, waist beads, and more.
- Moonlight Roller | 703 Cherry St. | This skate shop has the cool skates of our disco skater-girl dreams.
- Mutha Magick Apothecary | Online | This shop is owned by local rapper BBYMUTHA + features candles, oils, melts, and more.
- Natty Naturals | Online | Natty Naturals sells all-natural grooming + skincare products like body butter, deep conditioner, body oil, and more.
- Pasty’s Floral Boutique | Online | This floral boutique sells a number of floral arrangements and specializes in silk arrangements.
- Princess Child Soaps | Online | Princess Child is your one-stop-shop for homemade, artisan soaps.
- Roots Hair & Beauty | 3913 Brainerd Rd., Ste 116, + 4758 Highway 58 | This hair and beauty shop specializes in 100% human hair bundles, quick weaves, crochet braiding, natural hair products, and more.
- Tee Strokes Waist Beads | Online | This store provides quality, custom-made waist beads.
- The Basket Lady | Online | The basket lady will set you up with a one-of-a-kind gift basket for any occasion.
- The Floral Gallery | 3467 Wilcox Ave., Ste 103-A | The Floral Gallery’s floral + edible arrangements are hand-designed for your occasion.
- Unveiled Bridal Studio | 707 Cherry St. | This downtown bridal studio has gowns to fit the needs of every bride.
🤝 Services
- Adamson Developers | 3445 Brainerd Rd. | Adamson Developers is a residential + commercial development building company that provides budget estimates, site evaluation, design-build, a general contractor, and construction management.
- Advantage Windows | 3709 Brainerd Rd. | Advantage Windows is a local window installer with over 40 years of home improvement experience.
- Alter Ego Salon & Spa | 5323 Brainerd Rd. | This salon and spa offers makeup, hair, and nail services.
- Bonner Consulting Services | 1089 Bailey Ave. | Bonner provides tax preparation + consulting services and is an authorized IRS e-file provider.
- Candy Executives Auto Body | 6403 Middle Valley Rd. | Candy is an auto body + paint shop that offers an array of custom paint schemes and color combinations.
- Chambers Welding | 1009 Taft Ave. | Chambers is a full-service welding company with custom fabrication, welding, and metal repair services.
- Chattanooga Segway and Bike Tours | 212 Walnut St. | This company is where we’ll be looking for our next free day in town, with segway and bike tours of the Scenic City.
- Cue the Champagne | 7011 Shallowford Rd. | Cue the Champagne offers event planning + design services that will take care of everything on your special day while keeping you a part of the process.
- CPR Wrap | This product could save a life. It guides users through the four American Heart Association-recommended steps for CPR in a plastic overlay, which also acts as mouth protection.
- Dee’Sign Nail Salon | 5811 Lee Hwy., Ste 408 | Get all of your nail needs tended to here, from spa manicures and gel nails to the perfect pedicures.
- Frenise Mann Financial Coaching | 118 Lee Parkway Dr., Ste 305 | Mann’s company Thrivent will help work through all of your financial questions + issues.
- Grand Finale Events & Decor | 7315 Lee Hwy. | Grand Finale specializes in “event designing and decor with grace.”
- Inner Glow Skincare | 6237 Vance Rd., Ste 4 | Inner Glow Skincare helps to make your skin healthy + radiant with its makeup services and skincare treatment.
- JM Hanner Construction | 1100 S. Highland Park Ave. | JM Hanner Construction contracts highway + airport projects in Southeast Tennessee.
- Magnolia Developments | 1038 Meroney St. | This development company’s philosophy is to create spaces that bring people happiness + it focuses on every detail of the building process.
- Millennial Nail Bar | 818 Georgia Ave., suite 118 | This nail salon offers an experience, not just a manicure + you can request nail techs at your home, event, or for a girls night out.
- O’Zone Fitness | 739 Ashland Terrace | O’Zone is a fitness company that provides several options for staying in shape, like boxing, HIIT, strength + conditioning, resistance band training, and more.
- PCS Cleaning | 800 Market St. | Professional Cleaning Solutions offers cleaning services for your home or office.
- S.H.E. Trucking, LLC | 3505 Brainerd Rd., Ste. 4 | SHE Trucking is a transportation company that also provides education about the industry as a whole, safe practices, and on-road driving.
- V. Frances Intimate Events | 6925 Shallowford Rd. | This performance and event venue located in the Foundation Plaza off Shallowford Rd. provides a unique location for intimate occasions.
🎨 Arts
🎵 Music
- BBYMUTHA | BBYMUTHA is a rapper (who also owns her own small biz, Mutha Magick Apothecary) who began her career on Soundcloud + grew her audience after her song “Rules” went viral
- Carl Caldwell “Summer Dregs” | Summer Dregs is music producer Carl Caldwell, who started with one group and has expanded to producing and writing with a wide variety of local artists.
- Kimberly Hurley “Kimmie J Soul” | Kimmie J. has opened for the musical group The Bar-Kays + Eric Roberson, played the role of Deloris Van Cartier in “Sister Act,” and currently performs all around Chattanooga venues.
- Madison Mines “Cinematic” | This local rapper has lots of songs available for listening on Spotify and SoundCloud.
- Prince Bae Tiahli “Prince T” | Prince T loves to perform with other local artists + wants to make sure the sound of classic R&B doesn’t fade away.
- Swayyvo | This artist seems to do it all – he’s a hip hop/R&B artist, a saxophone + piano player, and a producer.
🖼️ Visual arts
- Rondell Crier | Rondell is an artist of many trades, including painting, fiber art, woodworking, and more.
- Isaac Duncan III | Isaac is a Brooklyn native and sculptor who currently lives in Chattanooga + teaches art at Chattanooga State.
- Josiah Golson | This local artist is a painter + drawer who also works as a lawyer.
- James McKissic | He works to use color, texture, and shapes to draw the viewer in, and is also the president of local nonprofit ArtsBuild.
- Charlie Newton | This UTC grad is a painter who founded Chattanooga’s free art school for urban youth, SPLASH, with his wife, Iantha.
- Iantha Newton | Iantha is a local painter who co-founded nonprofit organization SPLASH with her husband, Charlie.
- LaDarell Ransom | LaDarell is a local post-apocalyptic painter and illustrator.
- Dr. Valerie Smith | Dr. Valerie Smith is an artist + an assistant principal for Hamilton County Department of Education. Her graphic design work is currently used by three local small businesses.
- The Artist SEVEN | SEVEN is a mural artist whose work you’ve likely noticed driving around town (our personal fav is the Miles Morales mural on Central Avenue).
✍️ Poetry
- Caleb Golson “CalebThePoet” | This local poet seeks to be “a voice for the voiceless.”
- Genesis the Greykid | Genesis is a poet, visual artist, and creative who created the artwork for Kanye West’s song “Brothers.”
- Velvet Poetry | AKA Erika Roberts, Velvet Poetry is prolific and her work can found everywhere from this locally produced video to art creations for the city’s west side.
📸 Photography + cinematography
- J. Adams | Adams is the official photographer for Mayor Andy Berke + the city of Chattanooga government. He also has a project called blakchatt, which documents those participating in the Chattanooga BLM protests.
- Kris Rochelle-Hacker | Kris oves capturing moments and feelings in time. She started her business six years ago and can shoot anything from weddings to graduation photos to business branding.
❓ Question
Sorry, you are using an unsupported browser. This page will not display correctly.
Please click here to upgrade to a newer browser.
/**/
