The Culinary Scoop

Black-owned Victor George Spirits announced the Fort Lauderdale Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) board voted unanimously to provide $2,450,000 to help fund construction cost of a 15,000 square foot facility that will house a distillery, restaurant, cigar bar, whiskey lounge, co working space and a rooftop bar and lounge located on historic Sistrunk Boulevard.

“This will be a signature project on the Sistrunk Corridor!” said Fort Lauderdale Commissioner, Robert McKinzie.

Victor G Harvey, owner of nationally distributed Victor George Vodka “VG”, through his development company, Northeast 6th Development will use the forgivable loan alongside his own investment and financing provided by a local bank to help transform a once vibrant area back to a destination where neighborhood residents, out of town visitors and other locals can dine, drink, and tour the distillery, tasting new and unique craft spirits. This new building will be named The Victory Building after the historic Victory Theatre once located on Sistrunk. This was the mecca of entertainment for Black people in Fort Lauderdale and the only theatre they could attend up until the end of segregation in 1964.

Parent Company of Good-For-You Restaurant Franchises Wants to Help Develop Dozens of Black Franchisees by 2023

WOWorks, the parent company of good-for-you restaurant brands Saladworks, Frutta Bowls, Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh and The Simple Greek, announced their partnership with Multicultural Foodservice and Hospitality Association (MFHA) this month and is now actively seeking franchise candidates to partake in the program. MFHA is the premier diversity, equity and inclusion organization in the hospitality industry, and was founded to help increase the number of Black restaurant owners across America. WOWorks will work with the MFHA on its Pathways Initiative to build an effective, sustainable and profitable business model to create Black personal and community wealth through franchising of Saladworks, Frutta Bowls and Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh.