“With microgrants and more, DishRoulette Kitchen is helping Chicago restaurants survive — and thrive — during COVID-19.”
DishRoulette Kitchen (DRK)
is a small business development center, dedicated to addressing economic inequality by empowering food and beverage entrepreneurs in historically under-resourced communities.
Our mission is to provide holistic support in navigating the small business ecosystem through strategic consulting, funding, and educational resources.
At DRK, we envision a world where all entrepreneurs, regardless of their background, have equal opportunities to thrive. We are committed to transforming an economic system that has long excluded diverse entrepreneurs, combating disinvestment, and ensuring everyone has access to the social and material resources needed to succeed.
Founded in May 2020 at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we launched the DRK $1K Grant campaign as a response to the hardships faced by the restaurant industry due to closures and the barriers to accessing relief funds.
During the pandemic, monetary relief was vital for restaurants, with 63% of our applicants fearing closure within a year. These grants supported women- and minority-owned businesses often excluded from federal and state aid like PPP and EIDL due to the complexity of the application process. This underscored the critical role DRK plays in bridging these gaps.
Analyzing grant applications revealed entrepreneurs needed more than capital—they required technical support to navigate shifting dining restrictions. In response, we launched the DRK Growth Program, a data-driven incubator to help food and beverage businesses survive and thrive post-pandemic. Initially for grantees, the program now supports all food entrepreneurs, prioritizing women and BIPOC from underserved communities.
Though pandemic restrictions have long ago been lifted, our program continues to provide human and capital investment to disinvested communities
With our proprietary curriculum as the foundation, our programs lead with business modeling specifically focusing on two core financial concepts: bootstrapping and unit-economics.
Recognizing the root causes of socioeconomic challenges, we prioritize concepts like bootstrapping and unit economics to foster innovative business solutions. Our curriculum integrates these principles into a comprehensive program covering four core areas:
Accounting & Tax
Operations & Training
Licensing & Permit Compliance
Branding & Marketing
We offer tailored coaching during weekly office hours or by appointment, alongside workshops led by staff and industry experts on diverse business and industry topics. Additionally, we collaborate with corporate and community partners to host culturally relevant networking events, connecting food and beverage entrepreneurs with business opportunities and paid partnerships.
Our teaching methods include one-on-one coaching, professional consulting services, dynamic workshops, and networking events.
“I think of them as an organization that is trying to use their resources to empower BIPOC-led businesses but also engage in social change in the neighborhoods these businesses are situated. What is unique is in addition to providing funding, their theory change – the hidden curriculum of entrepreneurship that allows people to navigate – which usually is restricted to more resourced and well-connected groups.”
-Assistant Professor at the John Glenn College of Public Affairs at The Ohio State University
Community of Entrepreneurs
Explore the small businesses transforming their communities with the support of DishRoulette Kitchen Programs.
Community resilience, local talent, innovation- these ventures are a testament to the impact of investing in under-resourced entrepreneurs and fostering sustainable growth in our communities.
Huwa: From a WhatsApp group to sharing Palestinian olive oil with the world
La Humita: 20 years of authentic Ecuadorian flavors in Chicago
Diaspora: Where Southern, West African and Caribbean traditions come alive in Chicago
Our Supporters + Partners
“There needs to be drastic change to the way restaurants are conceptualized. Beginning with their business model, which is essentially their menu.”