Q&A: What is the state and future of Black-owned restaurants in Salem?

In the last few years, Black-owned food businesses in Salem have been on a slow but steady rise. The Statesman Journal talked to two owners and a former owner about their experiences in Salem and the future of the local industry. The newspaper talked with Riegna Breaux, who works at Taproot’s Old Mill Cafe, runs a biweekly pop-up out of the Dehn Bar and is the former owner of Tasten Cee BBQ Soul Food; Russell Dickerson and David Girley of Whuttle’s Barbecue; and Jonathan Jones of Epilogue Kitchen and Icarus Wings and Things. What is your experience working and running your business in Salem and how does it compare to other cities? Breaux: In California, it’s different. I can sell pigpots and people would support me because they’d know what it is. Here, everybody is really picky … They don’t know what soul food is, and that it’s an American cuisine. It’s American because it was what we were cooking for our masters when they wanted fried chicken and we would take the leftovers. I wanna make a lot more … but I know people here would not be receptive to that. Girley: We’ve been doing catering over 22 years...