ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Roeshaun Riley learned to cook from his mom.
“She was the chef of the family,” said Roeshaun Riley, owner of Good Eating.
He used what she taught him to open up Good Eating with his brother. It’s a restaurant in St. Petersburg serving up comfort food.
“We’re known for the best breakfast in the city,” said Riley.
That’s something he’s round of. He’s thankful for the community support that allows him to do it.
WATCH: St. Pete hosting events for National Black Business Month
“For us, every customer, man, it’s just a blessing for us,” said Riley.
He told Tampa Bay 28 that being a minority-owned business isn’t easy.
“Being a minority in this community, it’s hard. I’m not going to lie and say that business has been the best. It’s been a struggle,” said Riley.
That’s why he’s grateful for every single customer because by serving them food, Riley is able to feed his family and more.
“We’re able to employ people. We have four employees right now. Feeding their families, man, it’s just been a blessing,” said Riley.
Marcus Rowe, a St. Pete native and owner of Rowe’s Landscaping and Tree Service, also told Tampa Bay 28 that having community support is crucial.
“That’s a great thing. When you got the community behind you, you got everything behind you. If you don’t have the community, you don’t have nothing,” said Rowe.
He wants to see even more support for his business.
“I need it to grow way big," said Rowe.
The person behind the scenes supporting and encouraging these businesses and more is Renee Edwards.
“We need the entire community to support small business,” said Edwards, CEO of Saturday Shoppes.
Saturday Shoppes is known as the largest southside marketplace for small shops.
She’s dedicated the past few years to lifting up minority-owned businesses and helping them succeed.
“What Saturday Shoppes does is give the businesses a platform that are past startup but aren’t at the threshold of at least $50,000 annually. So Saturday Shoppes deals with the misfit businesses that no one gives an opportunity to. So what we do is we give you the platform, we give you the exposure that you need to grow your business organically,” said Edwards.
With August being National Black Business Month, Edwards believes this kind of spotlight can be life-changing for business owners, but she’s pushing for more.
“What we need is more investors, we need more sponsors, we need more financial support for small Black businesses,” said Edwards.
To honor National Black Business Month, the City of St. Pete launched a series of events and programs.
Here’s what the city shared about upcoming events:
- Building Blocks to Business Success
- Wednesday, August 20
- 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- ARK Innovation Center, 1101 4th St. S
- This networking and educational event, featuring vendor exhibits and an expert panel, is designed to celebrate, engage, and support businesses through a dynamic format that includes peer-led dialogue, resource sharing, and meaningful community engagement. Visit stpete.org/BuildingBlocks to register.
- Power Moves: Business 2 Business Networking
- Thursday, August 28
- 5 to 7 p.m.
- Foodie Lab, 515 22nd St. S, Ste 130
- Celebrate the innovation, impact, and resilience of Black- and minority-owned small businesses in a dynamic networking experience hosted by the City's Office of Supplier Diversity. Local entrepreneurs, professionals, and thought leaders gather to spark new connections, share ideas, and spotlight the future of diverse enterprises in our community in an evening of inspiration, collaboration, and civic pride.
While Edwards believes these events are great, she wants to see the support go beyond just August.
“We need the support every single week, every single month,” said Edwards.
