We’ve all got a part to play these days, as we stand against racism and uplift black voices. One thing we can do is uplift and frequent black-owned businesses, and what better place to start than breakfast and brunch? I’ve rounded up 10 black-owned businesses serving the morning meal, from bakeries to coffee shops to carryouts.
Bake Me Happy
106 E. Moler St., Merion Village
Wendy and Letha Pugh have created a Merion Village hangout that excels at gluten free goodness. They recreate all your childhood favorites in GF form: cookies, muffins, oatmeal cream pies, Twinkies, zebra cakes, pop tarts, scones, pies.
Creole Kitchen
1052 Mt. Vernon Ave., King-Lincoln Bronzeville
Chef Butcher and his family operate the city’s oldest Creole restaurant. They long operated as a carryout before expanding their dining room a couple years ago, and nowadays they’ve converted back to carryout only. They serve breakfast 8-10 a.m. daily. Visit for beignets, Andouille sausage omelets, eggs benedicts with tasso ham and bearnaise, fish and grits.
Donna’s Delicious Dozen
5322 N. Hamilton Rd., Gahanna/New Albany
Owner Traci Lukemire and her family serve up all sorts of colorfully topped donuts. They fry up a sweet and spongy base donut, then let you cover them with all sorts of frostings, drizzles, candies, crushed cookies, cereals.
Ena’s Caribbean Kitchen
2444 Cleveland Ave., North Linden
Ena’s is a long-running Caribbean spot on Cleveland Avenue; a couple years ago they were amongst the featured restaurants on Diners, Drive-Ins, & Dives‘ Columbus visit. While they mainly focus on lunch and dinner, they also have a Sunday brunch menu with items like smothered chicken and biscuits, shrimp and grits, crawfish and crab gravy with biscuits.
Fay’s Crepes
1500 Polaris Pkwy., Polaris
Fay’s Crepes is a recent addition to the Polaris food court, which is turning more toward local offerings. Visit them to sample fresh and photogenic crepes topped with everything from creme brulee to banana and Nutella, strawberry and cream to buckeye.
Hen Quarter
6628 Riverside Dr., Dublin
Dig into a hearty Southern brunch at this spot in Dublin’s Bridge Park. Their weekend brunch includes dishes like biscuits and gravy, cobbler waffles, the French Quarter omelet, Cajun pork chiles, lobster benedicts, chicken and waffles. The bottomless brunch is a fixed price per person and features a buffet of about 10 different items.
Lifestyle Cafe
891 Oak St., Olde Towne East
Lifestyle Cafe is one of the newer additions to the list, taking over the corner cafe space in Olde Towne East where The Angry Baker started. They’ve already earned accolades for their menu of gluten free waffles, breakfast sandwiches, avocado toast, and smoothies.
Lincoln Cafe
740 E. Long St., King-Lincoln Bronzeville
Located across the street from the Lincoln Theatre in the King-Lincoln Bronzeville District, this cafe serves up breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Their breakfast menu includes coffee, oatmeal, grits, breakfast sandwiches, a burrito, and waffles.
Nile Vegan
1479 Worthington St., University District
Tucked down a side street in the University District, Nile Vegan focuses on plant-based Ethiopian fare. While they may be taking a break from breakfast right now (which doesn’t mean you shouldn’t visit them!), their breakfast menu touches on dishes like the fava bean-based ful served with coffee or chai.
The Royce
8791 Lyra Dr., Polaris
The Royce is a new upscale gastropub at Polaris, featuring a hearty menu of dishes like cornbread drop biscuits, baked oysters, a gulf shrimp BLT, braised short ribs.
Superchef’s Breakfast & More
1344 Cherry Bottom Rd., Gahanna
Who’s up for a tower of green waffles? Or spongy red velvet pancakes? Or a breakfast pizza with candied bacon? At its Gahanna location, SuperChef’s is known for over-the-top breakfasts named for superheroes like The Hulk waffle sandwich, the Juggernaut waffle sandwich with fried chicken, plus so much more.
Upper Cup Coffee
79 Parsons Ave., Olde Towne East
121 Mill St., Gahanna
Owner Micael Habte roasts his coffees and features them out of two storefronts: one on Parsons Avenue and one in Gahanna. You’ll also find his beans on the menu at other local restaurants and coffee shops. His Parsons Avenue shop is one of the only places in town serving hand-pulled espresso.
