This blog stems from a conversation I had with a good friend tonight:

Do I support black owned business?  Certainly....however, I refused to support them simply because they are black owned.  I've heard this discussed countless number of times.  This is what I've heard: "We as a people don't support each other in business or we don't patronize black owned business enough."  Well there might be a reason why we don't patronize some of them, ever thought of that?

Don't get it twisted, I am truly in love with my people and am willing to go out of my way to support them.  Ask any of my friends, I'm big on supporting, sometimes a lil to much.  However, some things are not worth supporting a second time around. 

Let's take some of our black owned restaurants for example, I've visited some before and received, what I considered sub-standard or down right bad service, only to be given attitude when I bring it to the waiter's attention and then management or the owner's attention.  They look at me like I have no right to complain about the horrendous service I received. 

Am I suppose to pay good money that I worked hard for to receive this type of service?  I can get bad attitude and bad service for free, why should I have to pay for it? 

If I was at another establishment (I'm not saying they don't have issue too) or one of the restaurant chains (not fast food), would I have to pay for bad service?  I don't think so, in my experience what I've found to happen is I voice my complaints to the waiter (ess) or request the manager.  They usually fix the problem or they take it off the bill if they can't make it right. No attitude, because in most of these establishment the key, in my opinion, is they've been trained to retain the customer's business when something goes amiss, not discourage them from coming back, so they at least try to right the wrong.  It's called customer retention.

Unfortunately, what I've found in a few black owned establishments (and not just the restaurants either) is your met with attitude and you are expected to accept what you get.....take the good, the bad and the ugly.  And don't even think about taking it off your bill, you ordered it and you are going to pay for it, regardless of the situation.

So after an experience like that, will I come back....Hell-to-the-naw (yes I did say it like that), then I won't recommend it to my friends (and that's normally how we get together, eat, drink and be merry) and they won't tell it to their friends and so on and so on.

So do I support them, again I say Certainly without question when they deserve my support, time and money....not just because they are who they are.