Astoria, Community, Food and Drink, Living, Neighborhood
Jun 03, 2020

An Ongoing Directory of Black-Owned Businesses In Astoria

As people look for more tangible ways to better support, amplify, and represent Black people in our communities, here is one way to start right here in Astoria.  This list (…)

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As people look for more tangible ways to better support, amplify, and represent Black people in our communities, here is one way to start right here in Astoria. 

This list of Black-owned businesses in the neighborhood was compiled by DM’s we received on Instagram as well as this Reddit thread. We will continually add to it — please comment below or DM us on Instagram to add more.

*Editor’s note: This article was previously titled “Black-owned and managed businesses,” but these businesses are all Black-owned, the “managed” came into play because of a grocery store that was franchised and owned by a larger corporation, which we have removed from the list. As always, people are welcome to come to us with their feedback and additions and we will continue to update the list.*

Restaurants

  • Snowdonia – 34-55 32nd St, Astoria; open for takeout and delivery, hour fluctuate right now so please call ahead at (347) 730-5783. *co-owned by a couple and the wife identifies as Black.
  • Soul Out – 34th Ave x Crescent; call 718-937-4958 or walk-in to order.
  • Something Catchy – 23-14 36th Ave, Astoria; call or text 718-576-9518 to order
  • Melting Pot Cuisine – 3601 Vernon Blvd, Queens; order online here or call 718-606-2670.
  • Makina Cafe – 37th Ave x 34th St (Food Truck); order from a new family-sized menu here.
  • Berg’s Pastrami is a Black-owned catering business that will soon deliver fresh-baked babkas in Astoria, LIC and Woodside.
  • Nneji – serving Nigerian cuisine. Call (917) 832-7338 or stop by 32-20 34th Ave for takeout.

See a broader list of Black-owned restaurants in NYC & other areas of Queens here.

Retail/Grocery

  • Ibari (23rd Ave x 27th St) – currently closed

Artists and Entrepreneurs

Other

21 Comments

Ella Smith

Thank you for the support of Black Owned Business.

I’d like to recommend Eat Nom Squared to add to your list
WEEKLY CHOICES of prepared food
Order by Thursday at 11:59 P.M.
DELIVERY DATE: SUNDAY

EAT NOM CARES ABOUT WHAT GOES IN YOUR BODY!

✔️Made fresh

✔️Eco-Friendly / Compostable Packaging

✔️No added hormones.

✔️No GMO’s

✔️No antibiotics

✔️All natural / no artificial ingredients

Reply
Christine B

Hello. I appreciate what you are doing, however as someone already mentioned, Black management does not do much of anything for the cause. Black OWNED businesses need so much support right now.
I’ve looked into Macoletta and it is not blacked owned, yet it is the picture associated with this article. Snowdonia is also questionable as it is only associated with welsh owner Tom Davies .
Pleaseeee, I urge you to re-work this list. I am happy to do some research and get back to you with my results.

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David LaMarr Sims

Thank you for saying this! As a black performing artists in Astoria, I please urge you to remove both of these

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Tom Davies

Christine—

My wife, Carrie Spiller, is black and Native American. She is the 90% owner of Snowdonia (feel free to look up the LLC information). It is indeed a black-owned business. Because she runs the kitchen downstairs and I run the floor upstairs I am often mistaken as the sole owner. Ask any of our regulars about Carrie as she is beloved in the neighborhood. Or go on our Facebook, she is to the right of AOC.

Sincerely,
Tom Davies

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Christine B

That’s wonderful then. The point is to support black owned business and if Snowdonia is that then I am happy to support.
When you google the owner of the establishment a white male appears which is why this was confusing. Appreciate the clarification.

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Stephanie

It’s weird that to top of this list features white owners. Classic Astoria. Macoletta is no black-please remove it or at least drop it down and mention that owners are white. Thanks.

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Walid Idriss

Wow. I’ve been called of things in my life, but white is a new one… I don’t know where you got that info (and you have clearly never taken a look at me ). I have a complicated background and so if people don’t want me on a list of Black businesses, that’s fine. (We are no longer on the We Heart Astoria list anyway, FYI). But I really don’t want people saying the owner is white. Almost daily when people come in they assume I am the manager, the delivery man, the carpenter, never the owner…I guess I just don’t look like someone who would be an owner of an Italian restaurant and I know why. (My background is Egyptian Numbian, just to be clear. I was born and raised in Algeria because my father, en engineer, dedicated his life to rebuilding the country after independence from the French). Thanks, Walid Idriss

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CR

I find it really disturbing that people are condemning restaurants based on comments left on a message board. If people have questions about restaurants, hopefully We Heart Astoria can answer them, and/or, maybe reach out and have conversations with people at restaurants rather than taking comments left here as ultimate truth.

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Walid Idriss

Hi Christine, I am sorry I am late replying to this. I just saw it. I am the owner of Macoletta, Walid Idriss. People often assume I am the manager…I guess I don’t look like the kind of person who would own an Italian pizzeria. I am not sure what kind of research on Macoletta you did because you never spoke to me. I have a complicated background so maybe I don’t count in your eyes (the short version is: my heritage is from Aswan, Egypt, from Nubian people. I was born and raised in Algeria and have lived here for the last 20 years), and that’s fine. There are important things to consider. I just wish we had talked, especially before you announce that you did research on us. Please feel free to contact me if you ever want to know more about me. I love Astoria but one thing I don’t like is that people make assumptions about me.
Take Care, Walid

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Walid Idriss

Hi Christine, I am sorry I am late replying to this. I just saw it. I am the owner of Macoletta, Walid Idriss. People often assume I am the manager…I guess I don’t look like the kind of person who would own an Italian pizzeria. I am not sure what kind of research on Macoletta you did because you never spoke to me. I have a complicated background so maybe I don’t count in your eyes (the short version is: my heritage is from Aswan, Egypt, from Nubian people. I was born and raised in Algeria and have lived here for the last 20 years), and that’s fine. There are important things to consider. I just wish we had talked, especially before you announce that you did research on us. Please feel free to contact me if you ever want to know more about me. I love Astoria but one thing I don’t like is that people make assumptions about me.
Take Care, Walid

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Jennifer Forgash

Which is it? Black owned, or black managed? There’s a huge difference. If the manager at one of the Chase or Citi banks is black, should we then run out to support Chase or Citi?
Please indicate on this list which businesses are actually black owned.

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Kevin Murin

I’ve recently learned that Sek’end Sun is Black owned but I’m not sure if they’re open.

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Lee

Really! That would make a lot of sense. However when I’m there the only other brown person present is working the door as security lol smh. I will explore what’s been named it’s a start. Not even as just businesses to support but literally where to hang out and not stick out at the only POC there

Reply

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