‘Philanthropic Bey’ Nigerian Restaurant Saved With $8,000 Grant From BeyGood Foundation

Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, aka ‘Bey,’ is making good on her pledge to support Black-owned businesses.

During a recent stop of her sold-out Renaissance World Tour, Queen Bey donated over $8,000 to a struggling Nigerian restaurant in London, the Miami Herald reports. Thanks to a grant from the BeyGood Foundation, Chuku’s, owned by siblings Ifeyinwa and Emeka Frederick, was awarded $8,793.20 to keep their business afloat.

Knowles-Carter’s foundation is doing some amazing work while Bey works the stage. Chuku’s was one of 10 small businesses selected to receive the grant, beating out over 500 other applicants. The foundation organized the Black Parade Small Business Impact luncheon to honor individuals, communities, and small businesses affected by financial hardships. Emeka spoke about how grateful the restaurant is for the financial assistance. “This grant couldn’t be more welcome. Chuku’s, like other restaurants that don’t have a financial reserve, has been battered by lockdowns and the cost of living crisis,” Emeka said. “Every day, we’re fighting to stay open to make it to our fourth birthday.”

The struggle has been real for this brother-and-sister duo, but they already received some unsolicited help from Beyoncé before the grant. Since the restaurant is close to the Tottenham arena, where five of Bey’s shows have been held, the restaurant has become a “fan favorite” for attendees. Last year, the owners launched a challenge to get 600 bookings in six weeks. Luckily, they saw 800 reservations to help fill up their books with customers ranging from A-list celebs to everyday people who raved about their traditional Nigerian dishes.

 

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Ifeyinwa says this money will make it easier for them to continue celebrating Nigerian culture. “I still can’t quite believe that Beyoncé has backed our restaurant—it feels a bit surreal,” she told ITV. “We’d already felt her impact when she was in town, and concertgoers chose Chuku’s for their pre-gig meal, but this is a whole other level.”