“Being able to create your own African Diaspora adventure is one of the most unique dining experiences you’ll get in Boston,” said Samad, whose roles include founding culinary director of local nonprofit grocery chain Daily Table. “We need what Nubia means to the black diaspora to come through through the black and brown people who are here in Nubian Square.”
Building the market of your dreams comes with a unique set of challenges. The two black entrepreneurs must strike a fine balance, laying a foundation for their store that doesn’t crowd out the mom-and-pop stores embedded in the cultural fabric of Square, and creating a high-quality grocery experience that’s also affordable to a wide range. of consumers
“This is more than a business,” said Yassin, an entrepreneur who runs the Ascia Kitchen at the Islamic Society of Boston’s Cultural Center. “I want people to see this place as theirs.”
The idea for Nubian Markets began several years ago, when Samad and Yassin, who met through their work with Dorchester-based food business incubator CommonWealth Kitchen, sought operational positions at a planned Good Food Markets store for Nubian. Square. The two Muslim men hoped to modify the DC-based neighborhood grocery store by serving no alcohol, offering halal food, and most importantly, offering a long overdue “dignified dining and shopping experience” for blacks.
Samad said that racist assumptions have prevented white supermarket chains from opening stores in black neighborhoods. Structural racism has prevented BIPOC companies from raising the capital they need to grow and prosper. In addition, he said, advertising for upscale grocery stores in the United States often targets white consumers. Due to these factors, Samad said, many black people are excluded from a high-quality market experience.
“The bar for markets in our communities needs to be raised,” said Samad, who has moved to the Cleveland area since the pandemic to be closer to family. “I am interested in creating spaces that generate dignity, that are cured by us and that are for us.”
After the murder of George Floyd in the summer of 2020 and the racial calculations that the tragedy spawned, Samad and Yassin realized that operating a black-focused business with white owners was not enough; they wanted the business to be completely their own.
“When you don’t own the building, you’re basically working to pay the owners,” Yassin said.
Nubian Markets’ backers, including Boston Medical Center, Local Enterprise Assistance Fund, and Massachusetts Housing Investment Corporation, have agreed to transfer ownership to Samad and Yassin. Nicole Obi, president and CEO of the Massachusetts Black Economic Council, said support from the black community and institutions is key for BIPOC-owned businesses like Nubian Markets to stay open and grow.
“This is where our allies come into play,” Obi said. “We see this as critical and necessary to help close the racial wealth gap.”
The owners said they, in turn, hope to build wealth in Nubian Square by hiring from the community and prioritizing produce from black farmers and merchants. They also hope to offer opportunities to invest in Nubian markets through NFTs, or non-fungible tokens that can be sold and traded, which would offer niche products like a custom meal or artwork by a local black artist.
Obi said Samad and Yassin’s innovative ideas could contribute to the economic development of the neighborhood.
“They don’t just generate income and pay taxes,” Obi said. “In many cases, they are also hiring black and brown people.”
Nubian Markets will join a handful of mom-and-pop grocery stores in and near the Square, which includes Tropical Foods on Melnea Cass Boulevard, which offers products for Latin American, African American, West Indian and African cuisine, and International Halal Market on Tremont Street, which advertises beef, goat, chicken, fish, and lamb. Suya Joint on Dudley Street offers West African food, takeaway and catering services.
The introduction of another business that caters to the African diaspora has raised some concerns about its impact on existing stores. But some, including Suya Joint owner Cecelia Lizotte, see Nubian Markets as an opportunity opportunity, not competition. Lizotte said the market could help her restaurant by attracting more people interested in African cuisine to the business district.
“Nubian Square is a dead zone,” Lizotte said. “The more people we can get into Roxbury, the better.”
According to Idowu, Boston’s head of inclusion and economic opportunity, said having similar stores close to one another isn’t always a bad thing.
“I don’t see them cannibalizing each other, but actually supporting each other,” Idowu said.
The new market is located in a place of change, and some contention, in the neighborhood. It will occupy a commercial premises on the ground floor at Bartlett Place, an 8.6-acre former MBTA bus yard that was once a blank canvas for graffiti artists, sculptors and creatives. Our Community and local developers demolished the site in 2015 to make way for the residential and commercial space that stands there today.
But Kai Grant, co-founder of retail incubator Black Market, which has partnered with Nubian Markets, said it’s important for the community to look ahead and We welcome businesses that could move the neighborhood in a positive direction.
“It’s up to residents to be brave, not lead in fear and see ourselves in the future of Nubian Square,” Grant said.
Roz Freeman, operations manager for Nubian Markets, said having owners with ties to the local community who reflect their needs and concerns will help mitigate the forces of gentrification in Roxbury.
“We want this to be for the people who are already here,” Freeman said. “Not the ones that come.”
On a recent Wednesday afternoon, Freeman led a visitor through the unfinished store. In the market area, those wishing to prepare their own meals or grab a quick bite can choose from take-out meals, locally grown produce and food items from the African diaspora. like puff-puff and injera. Shelves near the front of the grocery area, Freeman said, would contain items produced by other local entrepreneurs.
In the fast casual area, guests could prepare their own bowl of grains, vegetables and protein or try the chef’s dishes inspired by different regions of Africa and its diaspora. Their menu will change according to the seasons, the availability of products and the surplus of the farmers.
“You’re going from Ethiopia to Mississippi,” Samad said. “Today, I will get some fufu. Tomorrow I will buy some mofongo”.
Although their plans won’t be certain until Nubian Markets opens its doors, the team is confident that their store will challenge the status quo.
“There is a time for disruption,” Samad said.
Tiana Woodard is a member of the Report for America corps that covers black neighborhoods. You can reach her at tiana.woodard@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter at @tianarochon.
