The Owners Sleep Blissfully: A Vision for Black Agents of Hospitality to Claim Hospitality Empowerment

By Andre Sykes

I’ve often raged about the complexities of finding joy in an unfulfilling society. I get it, it’s easier to blur the lines of reality in the middle of service and continue to ignore them than to step back, look, and define how it impacts our future. This is why we must examine it; there must be clear boundaries on what is acceptable and what will not be condoned or tolerated. Creating guidelines for future generations of Black Agents of Hospitality. In all fairness, our industry has made strides over the past ten years regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion; however, many of those only impact those who are white or who can pass as white. The issues often highlighted tend to overlook the experiences of Blackness and Black Queerness, failing to address our distinct existence within America. It turns into little more than empty patronage, lacking any real substance or meaningful action. So, what are we supposed to do? Who has the power to bring about real change? How do we create a better future for the next generation of Black Agents of Hospitality? How do we make owners understand that some things matter more than simply providing a paycheck?

Unfortunately, Black Agents of Hospitality have endured a legacy of admonishment, indifference, and apathy from both sides of the bar. Trying to find answers to these questions is one of the reasons that my partners John Neely and Lisa Posey created our pop-up Black On Both Sides in 2021. We wanted to shine a light on the pride, expertise, and vibes of Black, and LGBTQ+ Agents of Hospitality. B.O.B.S. was created to celebrate not just the abundant diversity within the hospitality industry, but to change the narrative of what it means to be a Black/LGBTQ+ professional who chooses hospitality as a career—specifically in giving others a voice and space to illuminate what is unique to them as professionals. It reinforced the urgent need for truth and accountability, which is all too rare among competent owners. This kind of representation deeply influences hiring practices, sets expectations, and fosters a community of Black professionals who are capable of delivering the work. To me, the answers lie not with the Black employees, but with Ownership—those who sign our checks and push us to deliver record sales and profits in exchange for little more than the paycheck itself.

I ask myself, what is the remedy for this disconnect and often disrespect between ownership and their employees in general? I ask my friends and other professionals in this industry the same question. More times than not, we have the same answer: “I don’t know.” It’s difficult to convince someone that how they operate is not conducive to the longevity or prosperity of their business. Or that will continue to bleed through staff members until change is enacted. For my business partners and myself, the answer was evident: create it ourselves. We had to become owners, to pick up the mantle of our ancestors and do what they did throughout all of our history—fight for it. This has allowed B.O.B.S. to take over predominantly White-owned businesses in Detroit, bringing in the Black demographic and making them feel comfortable in that space to spend their hard-earned money. This change has attracted more repeat Black customers and helped the business diversify its targeted demographics. We cannot wait for others to fix problems only the Black community can see and experience. We must be the change we want to see from others, starting with taking ownership of the businesses and services we rely on. By doing so, we can create spaces where we can thrive, especially in a White-centric industry. 

The future of our industry rests in our hands. It can only be shaped by those hands that are still ashy from actively molding the changes we wish to see. As we enter our thirties and forties, becoming seasoned veterans in our careers, we are emerging as the vanguard—those who must lead the charge and drive meaningful change. So, I challenge you to take ownership of your own LLC, host pop-ups, and push yourselves to be the beacon of change for the next generation of Black, and LGBTQ+ Agents of Hospitality. Create authentic experiences, great cocktails and food, and exceptional service that are second to none, hire people from your community and give opportunities. Give them the tools, capacity, and trust to excel within your vision. Allow yourself and your business to be held accountable. Work within your community to build a community. After all, it takes a village to raise a child.

I am far from perfect, just like all of us, and I don’t know all of the answers to even my own questions. I am cognizant that we all experience things that jade our perspectives of the world we live in. But we also have to keep each other accountable for our actions, regardless of the outcome. There is a lot of work to be done to build a respectful relationship between owners and their employees. I want to be a catalyst for that, to use my voice, my expertise, and my business for the future of our industry. To do that, we have to wake up ownership and the industry out of their blissful sleep with uncomfortable truths and even harder conversations so that we can build actionable efforts from discourse and mutual respect. It is time to pivot from our antiquated structures of business and damaging working habits to take our future into our own hands. Let’s build an equitable Black community, one business at a time.

I leave you with this poem that I wrote entitled “What We Do” because what we do as Agents of Hospitality is a vital aspect of community, and it soothes the souls within the humanity of all of us.

This is the best feeling—

When appreciation meets the side of moving 

Chairs scraping floors with screeching excitement. You are

Why we do what we do. It’s the grin

After a sip from a strong day. It’s the

Shimmer in impossible eyes, they see spirits visit them often. It’s the

Moment when serenity meets creativity. The form imagination takes in reality. 

The laughter inside of certain finality. It’s why

The birds watch the coming of dawn. We

Bring forth the spirits of our souls, and we

offer them freely. 

That’s why we do, what we do—

To conjure forth beings not of this world,

But of our world. A perfect hour for

Imperfect perfection perfecting perfect pictures from the 

Other side of sticky wells. The grass is greener here, the 

Laughter spills from our lips here, there is healing here.

The best feels come when feeling like 

Less is the best reason for wanting to

Feel more than the shade from strange fruit hangovers

On the next shift’s breeze still swaying and red-eyed. 

We do what we do,

Because of you,

For you,

Because we are you.

Welcome to our soul.

Cocktail Recipe 

Fannie Ward #2 

• 2oz Detroit City Distillery Summer Rum                                                        
• 0.75oz Sorrel Syrup                                                                                
• 0.5oz Lime Juice                                                                                
• 2 Dashes Bittermens Tiki bitters                
• 1 Egg White

Method: Combine all ingredients into a shaker tin,  dry shake for 20 seconds then wet shake with ice for 15 seconds,  double strain into glass

Glass: Absinthe glass or coupe

Garnish: Dried hibiscus flower