In a growing market, many minority-owned companies are expanding.

Thursday, the Nashville Black Chamber of Commerce brought dozens of those entrepreneurs together as the organization celebrates 20 years of promoting black-owned businesses.

With revitalization, many of those businesses are hoping to continue to grow.

At the Cupcake Collection in Germantown, owner Mignon Francois got in on the front-end of redevelopment.

“We had to tell people what Germantown was,” Francois said. “People said that no one [is] ever going to stand in line for anything in that area and neither are they going to stand in line for anything gourmet, and boy, did we prove them wrong.”

The business is so successful Francois has opened a new location in her hometown of New Orleans.

“I always say others only eat to live, but in New Orleans, we live to eat, but I found that happening around Nashville too,” Francois said. “So, when I decided I wanted to take it anywhere, I wanted to first take it home and be a part of the rebuilding of the city since Katrina.”

Slim and Husky’s Pizzeria in North Nashville is another black-owned business that has seen much success.

Owners have opened a second location in Antioch and are in the process of opening two more restaurants in Atlanta – one down the street from Tyler Perry Studios and another one in Mid-Town.

“African Americans spend over a trillion dollars each year. Our goal is to keep that trillion dollars in our community,” said U.S. Black Chambers President and CEO Ron Busby, Sr.

Busby said minority-owned businesses are key in tackling unemployment in the black community.

“There are literally two million unemployed African Americans this morning. That’s the bad news,” Busby said. “The good news is there is also 2.7 million African American owned businesses, which means simple math that if each one of those firms can hire one of the unemployed African Americans around the country, we can truly have an impact not just in Nashville, but around the country.”

A hidden jewel for small and minority-owned businesses is the Entrepreneur Center in downtown Nashville, MiTechis taking advantage of the affordable office space.

Owner Bill McCleskey started the telecommunications company, which helps businesses in the U.S. shop for internet, voice and TV service among 100 plus carriers.

It started with zero dollars and now is a $1.4 million a year company.

“Nashville is the ‘It’ City. A lot of things happening here and really developing the right posture and positioning ourselves as a minority company has been advantageous,” McCleskey said. We’ve been able to get locked in on some certifications and get contracts with the city and municipalities because of that. The sky is the limit, there is a lot of opportunities out there to be had.”

At the Nashville Black Chamber annual luncheon, many business owners and community members were honored.

Founder Rosetta Perry, who owns the Tennessee Tribune newspaper, was honored with the Pioneer Award.

Perry started the Nashville Black Chamber back in 1998 with only a few members, now it has grown to hundreds.

With regentrification of Jefferson Street and other parts of North Nashville, many small minority-owned businesses are trying to make sure they are part of the future.

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