LaTrelle’s Galley LP, a Black-owned management company, has won a bid valued at $334 million from Houston's city council for a 10-year concessions deal at William P. Hobby Airport, according to the Houston Chronicle.

The deal will see the family owned Houston-based company will bring 10 restaurants to the city's oldest commercial airport. The brands include Common Bond, Pink’s Pizza, Velvet Taco, Dish Society, Fat Cat Creamery, The Rustic, Dunkin’, Jersey Mike’s Subs, Wendy’s and Peet’s Coffee.

LaTrelle’s Galley began serving cookies from its bakery at the airport in 1985.

“The very first LaTrelle’s airport location was in Hobby Airport. There, in just 350 square feet, we sold our grandmother’s recipes,” Chris James, the company’s business development director, said in an interview with the Houston Chronicle. “Our family all worked there. To grow from that to now overseeing and operating this 17,000-square-foot multi-brand initiative is such a proud moment for LaTrelle’s.”

Estimates from the bidding process indicate that the eateries will generate $334 million in gross sales for 10 years. The city and LaTrelle’s project City Hall will make about $73 million from those sales in that time, with $8 million in net profit for LaTrelle’s, according to the Houston Chronicle.

The Rustic concept, according to James, will include live music performances inside the airport, as is customary at its bar and restaurant vibe in other area locations.

The changeover to the new restaurants is anticipated to start in April and take two years to complete.

Black-owned ice cream maker team with Ben and Jerry’s in vegan dessert launch

Partake founder Denise Woodard has teamed up with Ben and Jerry’s to launch a new ice cream flavour — Oatmeal Dream Pie.

The flavour comprises an oatmeal crème pie non-dairy frozen dessert with gluten-free oatmeal cookies and marshmallow swirls.

“The chance to work with Ben & Jerry’s is an Oatmeal Dream come true,” Woodward said in a statement. “As fellow champions of inclusivity and good food doing good, Ben & Jerry’s has long been at the top of our list to partner. We are thrilled to join them in freezers across America by providing our one-of-a-kind oatmeal cookies.”

Launched in 2016, Woodward started the company when her daughter was diagnosed with multiple food allergies, according to a statement. It offers delicious, allergy-friendly cookies, baking mixes and pancake and waffle mixes, free of certified gluten-free, non-GMO, vegan, and the top-nine allergens — wheat, tree nuts, peanuts, milk, eggs, soy, fish, sesame, and shellfish.

Its products are available in more than 9,000 stories in the U.S. and on its website.

The special flavour will be available for a limited time and cost US$5.99 to US$6.49 in the U.S.

Black farming initiative taking root in the U.S.

A joint initiative between the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) and Cargill, a global food production company, has led to the first cohort of the Black Farmers Equity Initiative.

To make advancements in agricultural supply chain access for Black farmers, NMSDC says the collaborative project aims to create a pathway for emerging Black farmers to achieve parity in the agriculture industry with learning solutions, certification, lending, networking and new contracts.

“Increasing the numbers of Black farmers in the U.S. agricultural industry is an essential part of achieving NMSDC’s mission of eliminating the racial wealth gap within the next 50 years. We are excited to work with these incredible farmers as they grow their businesses, build generational wealth, and provide much-needed resilience to our nation’s agricultural supply chain,” said Jetheda Hernandez, senior director of strategic alliances and programming at NMSDC.

Eleven members of the first cohort have been named. They include:

• Richard Francis, a.k.a. Farmer Chippy – Francis owns Plantation Park Heights Urban Farm. Its main commodities are pepper and herbs, and it is located on five acres of land in Maryland.
• Antron Williams – Williams owns Mahogany Farms LLC. Its main commodities are corn, cotton, soybeans, and wheat, located on 550 acres of South Carolina.
• Sidney and Shane Lovelace – The Lovelaces (father and son) own Lovelace Farms. Its main commodities are cows and hay, and it is located on 150 acres of land in Kentucky.
• D. Spencer Riley – Riley owns Orgaceutical. Its main commodities are leafy vegetables and microgreens, located on five acres of Pennsylvania.
• Michael Rollen – Rollen owns Ophelia’s Blue Vine Farm. Its main commodities are herbs and spices, located on one acre of land in Missouri.
• Kimberly Ratcliff – Ratcliff owns Caney Creek Ranch and Farm to Freezer Meat Company. Its main commodities are Charbray cattle and feed resources, located on 2500 acres of land in Texas.
• Cherie Jzar – Jzar owns Deep Roots Farm. Its main commodities are vegetables, flowers, fruits, berries, herbs, apiaries, and animals, and it is located on seven acres of land in North Carolina.
• Harold Singletary – Singletary owns BrightMa Farms. Its main commodity is hemp, and it is located on 96 acres of land in South Carolina.
• Immanuel Jarvis – Jarvis owns Jireh Family Farm. Its main commodities are permaculture pigs, rabbits, goats, and meat chickens, and it is located on four acres of land in North Carolina.
• Dr. Michael Lloyd – Lloyd owns Num Num Sauce Farms. Its main commodity is tomatoes, located on two acres of land in Georgia.
• James E. Davis, Jr. – Davis owns Bales and Bushels. Its main commodity is cotton, and it is located on 12 acres of land in Louisiana.