Happy Black History Month!
Are you looking for a way you can celebrate?
One way you can do so is by supporting Black-owned businesses. Our local, small businesses make up the heart of downtown Las Vegas, and there are several Black-owned ones you may not have known about.
We stopped by three of these businesses to hear the owners’ stories.
Nail Therapy Beauty Boutique
804 S. Las Vegas Blvd.
Mon to Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Located on Las Vegas Boulevard in the heart of Downtown Las Vegas, Nail Therapy Beauty Boutique is a full-service nail salon. They are one of few salons specializing in Gel X, a less abrasive type of nail extension used as an alternative to acrylic nails.
Owner Chrinish “Cree” Finks built her business from the ground up about four years ago. She prides herself on creating a homey and inviting space that her clients love to come to unwind and socialize. Finks even hired a local artist to paint a mural inside of the shop.
In addition to nail services, the boutique also offers an in-house esthetician providing skincare services such as waxing, facials and more.
Tofu Tees
1028 Fremont St., Unit 109
Wednesday to Friday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Located in Fergusons Downtown, Tofu Tees is owned by Kumei Norwood, a 14-year-old with a passion for fashion, who is using her platform as a business owner for raising awareness on social issues. Tofu Tees is a t-shirt and accessory shop, but other items in the store are curated by Norwood herself.
During the day on weekdays, Norwood attends high school like any other teenager, but after school and on weekends, she’s in the shop to run her business. Norwood also loves hosting events and often does so on weekends. One of her favorite parts of having her business are the community relationships she is able to form through these events. She is passionate about creating a safe space for other kids to feel welcome to come and express themselves and their beliefs among like-minded people.
What’s next for Norwood? She is of course going to continue growing her Tofu Tees brand and business, but she also has a passion for fashion design and wants to go to college.
Soul Foo Young
1216 W Owens Ave.
Tuesday to Friday 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
This restaurant in the Historic Westside of Las Vegas is Chinese Soul Food fusion. Hailing originally from Chicago, owner Artisha Hall grew up around kitchens and has a passion for good food. Soul Foo Young went from starting out of Hall’s house to operating out of the back of a bar to having its own brick and mortar location where it has grown into what it is today.
With no dining room, Soul Foo Young is take-out or delivery only, but there is the option to order ahead online. The restaurant’s staple dish is the Bruce Leroy, which comes with three whole fried chicken wings and veggie fried rice. On Soul Foo Young’s website, the dish is described as “the perfect mixture of southern homestyle traditions and Asian flavor infused cuisine.”
