You don’t have to imagine a restaurant that offers a unique fusion of Black American cuisine with the familiar aesthetics of classic Chinese American takeout—because it exists. Black Dragon Takeout is the innovation of Cooking Competition Multi-Award Winner, Chef-owner Kurt Evans who embraced the motto: “When a door closes, a window opens” after realizing he could provide a solution when long-standing Chinese takeout restaurants across Philadelphia Black communities were closing because they had no family succession plan.
With his investors Andrew Trotter and Kyle Moore, Evans took over one of these empty storefronts serving nutritious, culturally significant dishes that celebrate Black culinary traditions while maintaining the beloved look and feel of Chinese takeout. The menu is a blend of flavors and traditions, offering a fresh and exciting dining experience that honors both Black and Chinese American cultures. Below are highlights from my conversation with Black Dragon Takeout Owner, Chef Kurt Evans.
How has your fusion of Black Soul Food with Chinese cuisine vibe been received by customers?
They get it and they love it. The support has been amazing because locals and visitors understand our restaurant symbolizes a movement to revive and celebrate the community. And, with our one-of-a-kind specialties like Oxtail Rangoon, General Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles, Collard Green Egg Rolls, and Gumbo Lo Mein served in Creole Soup—we have fantastic word-of-mouth by our customers who recognize our commitment to quality, cultural relevance, and community empowerment is making a difference.
Tell us about your social impact mission to nourish the community.
A priority for us is to uplift our community by offering delicious food and creating jobs. We believe in providing meaningful employment opportunities to our neighbors. We are particularly focused on offering second chances to those who have faced incarceration by offering these individuals shifts to make extra money. And for anyone else who wants to learn more about the restaurant industry, we invite them to apply and if they are hired, we will train them with skills to become more productive which will empower them and strengthen our community.
What expansion plans do you have for your brand?
We hope to open another Black Dragon later this year. We prefer to take over existing restaurant space to support rebuilding and enhancing communities. However, as a business, we need to be very strategic about the location because there already is an abundance of Chinese takeouts across the U.S. and we want to make sure the demand will be there based on the neighborhood. College towns are great for us because we serve the specialty of “Black American” Chinese food and that brings on the curiosity factor, especially with Asian students, who want to know what we are serving, how our dishes are prepared, etc. It’s an exciting time and we look forward to our growth!
What is your top tip for other aspiring restaurateurs?
Keep all of your paperwork in order because you never know when you might need it. Keep track of license renewal dates, and vendor contact info and have all appliance warranty information available for quick access. Most importantly, stay in touch with your peers and grow your network. The real-time guidance and lessons learned you can get from others who have already gone through challenges or growth can be the best education. Seek out mentors and when the time is right, pay it forward because entrepreneurship is like everything else in life—the more you give, the more you’ll get.
Tenyse Williams is an award-winning Brand Strategist, an Adjunct Instructional Specialist at Columbia University and George Washington University, and Founder & Chief Communications Officer of Verified Consulting, leading a team of digital marketing professionals amplifying awareness for their clients. Follow her on LinkedIn.
