Detroit is a city built on resilience, creativity, and undeniable Black excellence, especially when it comes to food. Black chefs and restaurateurs have been at the forefront, from the neighborhood spots we all love to upscale dining rooms. For generations, food has been the heartbeat of Black families and communities here, a way to come together and keep our culture alive. Now, with the Black Food & Wine Experience (BFWE) making its Detroit debut from September 12 to 14, it’s time to put the city’s rich culinary legacy in the spotlight.
Aminah “Chef Mimi” Robinson-Briscoe founded BFWE in 2016 in Oakland, California, to honor Black excellence in the food and beverage industries. Her vision was clear—she wanted to create a space where Black chefs and food entrepreneurs could be recognized and celebrated. Detroit’s version of the event will provide Black chefs, winemakers, and restaurateurs a platform to showcase their work and connect with the community.
“This is about more than just food,” Chef Mimi shared. “It’s about giving Black chefs and entrepreneurs the recognition they deserve. Detroit has such a powerful culinary history, and this is an opportunity for that history to be honored.”
The event kicks off on Thursday, September 12, with a reception at the historic Book Tower. Chefs, restaurateurs, and food lovers from across the city will gather to celebrate Detroit’s rich culinary heritage. The event is about recognizing those who have been working behind the scenes to elevate Detroit’s food scene, and it will give attendees a chance to experience the best that the city’s Black food community has to offer.
On Friday, September 13, the Black Food & Beverage Summit will take place at One Campus Martius. The summit will provide a space for Detroit’s Black food entrepreneurs to connect, share knowledge, and learn from industry leaders. The focus will be on empowerment, entrepreneurship, and economic advancement in the food and beverage industries.
One of the key goals of the event is to highlight the diversity within Black culinary traditions. Chef Mimi reflected on her own experience in culinary school, where she didn’t see much representation of Black culture and cuisine. “In culinary school, I didn’t see a lot of representation of Blackness and my style of food,” she said. “When you’re in school, it’s very much targeting towards French cuisine, which really erases the spices and a lot of the culture that I grew up with. And that led me post-graduation to really evaluate who I am and what I want to be within this industry.”
This realization shaped her mission to expand people’s understanding of Black food beyond soul food. “I want to stretch the lens of folks, to see foods from the African Diaspora,” Chef Mimi said. “We love soul food, but we also wanted to show that there’s variety. We are not a monolithic culinary community. We are global.”
On Saturday, September 14, The Grand Tasting will take place at State Savings Bank, offering an unforgettable culinary journey through the African Diaspora. Local chefs and culinary experts will prepare tastings that showcase the richness of Black culinary arts, with a variety of dishes that reflect the global influence of Black food. The event will also feature wines and spirits from Black-owned businesses, giving attendees the chance to experience the full spectrum of Black excellence in food and drink.
Since its inception, BFWE has supported over 150 Bay Area businesses, boosting sales and creating employment opportunities for participants. The economic impact of the event extends far beyond the festivities, contributing to local economies through hotel stays, restaurant visits, and other tourism-related activities.
There’s no doubt that anytime something new comes to a city, some may be hesitant. Some may wonder if an event created by someone from outside of Detroit can truly understand and represent the city’s unique culinary landscape. But for Chef Mimi, it’s about collaboration and giving Detroit’s Black restaurateurs and chefs a platform that will elevate their work even more. This is not about where the event started but what it means for Detroit now. Local chefs have been laying the groundwork for years, and now they have a chance to shine brighter.
Chef Mimi’s decision to bring BFWE to Detroit wasn’t random. She saw the connections between Oakland and Detroit, two cities with strong Black histories and vibrant culinary scenes. “We loved the city of Detroit because we feel like Oakland and Detroit are very similar, like cousins. With Detroit being a Black-forward city, having a robust culinary scene and all of the winemakers and chefs that are there, we just felt like the city was ready for a Black Food & Wine Experience to just explore and to showcase all the beauty that they have.”
The heart of BFWE goes beyond the food. It’s about family, connection, and love, which have always been central to the Black culinary experience. Chef Mimi recalled how her mother first introduced her to cooking. “My mother used to put me up to the stove and she would make water, flour, and oil and turn it into gravy. I fell in love with the science of it all, the science of cooking, and I just remember the feeling of family gatherings and food always being on the table. Wine was on the table. Just everything that Black Food & Wine Experience represents—family and love and connection. That’s what motivated me to see this as more than just a hobby, but the love of bringing folks together.”
BFWE in Detroit will bring together more than 60 Black food and beverage entrepreneurs from the city, offering them a platform to showcase their work and connect with new audiences. Chef Mimi and her team have worked hard to build partnerships with organizations such as the Michigan Business Alliance and the Black Urban League, ensuring that the event creates real opportunities for growth. “We have done a lot of groundwork for partnerships,” she said. “We’ve been really successful at building partnerships within a small amount of time.”
For Chef Mimi, the event is about revolutionizing the industry. She believes that collective work is the key to success. “So my disposition is really about revolutionizing this industry. And we can’t do it all by ourselves. We have to do it with partnerships, we have to do it with connecting with folks, and we have to do it by being strategic. One of the things that I say in our community is that collectiveness is important. We represent only 1% of this industry when it comes to wealth. So, we are not in competition with each other. We have to come together, and this is what this event is about.”
The event will bring together panelists from different areas within the hospitality industry, including restaurant owners, wine brand leaders, and executives in hospitality and tech. The goal is to share information and provide opportunities for Black entrepreneurs to grow their businesses and make lasting connections. For Chef Mimi, this is about shining a light on the talent in Detroit’s Black food community and giving them the recognition they deserve.
Detroit’s Black Food & Wine Experience goes beyond celebrating food. It serves as a movement dedicated to uplifting the Black culinary community and driving lasting change. Chef Mimi’s vision for the event is rooted in love, connection, and a commitment to empowering Black entrepreneurs. As Detroit prepares to host this historic event, one thing is clear: the city’s Black chefs and restaurateurs are ready to shine.