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Bronzeville Winery to open this summer
It was a powerful message from the mayor and the owner of a brand new South Side winery, encouraging banks to put their money where their mouths are.
"This goes out to the banks out there, to the finance companies. You need to finance Black and brown entrepreneurs," Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said.
It was a powerful message from the mayor and the owner of a brand new South Side winery, encouraging banks to put their money where their mouths are.
Wednesday was the groundbreaking of Bronzeville Winery. The new Black-owned business is being made possible by a grant from the city to help minorities launch their own businesses.
The winery received a $250,000 grant to make it happen. But the owner, Cecilia Cuff, and Mayor Lightfoot, used a press conference at the groundbreaking to call for businesses to invest in the Black community, saying people need more access to capital and not just one-and-done programs to create businesses like this one.
"I think for us, Bronzeville Winery is more than just a restaurant. We'll have an incredible wine list... and brunch on Sundays... and we will be here for a community space," Cuff said. "But we are committed to developing the next generation of entrepreneurs."
The winery is set to open later this summer.