This week, we asked you to share your feedback and questions about how we could use our platform to serve the community as protests continue in cities around the country, including in Lakeland. We’re here to listen, learn, and facilitate positive conversations about our diverse and vibrant community. (Share your voice here.)
We heard you all this week when you asked for a list of local black-owned businesses. And before we could create our own list, members of the community did it. 👏
Local resident + business owner, Stephanie Gregg (founder of Buena Nights – events that showcase the talent of Lakeland Makers) created a list of black-owned businesses and we pulled 30+ businesses to highlight from the working document, where black business owners can add their information. You can also use this doc.
Businesses can also register to the TAACCPC Polk County Black-Owned Business Directory 2020 Registration Form, here.
Note: Due to COVID-19, some businesses may currently be closed or offering limited services.
Apparel
- Creatively Black Customs | Shop online | Customized apparel from hats, t-shirts, tumblers, and more.
- Urban Appeal | 123 S. Kentucky Ave. | Clothing and apparel store, offering name brands, shirts, shoes, kids clothing, shorts + women’s clothing.
- 321vintage | Online | Did someone say Disney-themed tees?
- Bayshore Swimwear | Online | Summer’s right around the corner + we have our eyes on this unique collection.
- Fashion Fetish & Co. | 651 E. Main St. | An upscale and vintage boutique that caters to a wide range of women from diverse backgrounds.
- The Kodae Way, LLC | Online | Established by De’Janique Wilson, this shop sells onsies, swimwear, lashes + more.
FlyKingz Apparel | Online | Scroll through more fashion options here.
BTE Custom Apparel & More | Online | Choose from a large selection of shirt design options here that can be customized for whatever color and wording you’re looking for.
Beauty/Barber
- My Touch Barber Shop and Impressions | 1227 Ariana St. | Local barbershop with a mission of #KeepingTheCityFresh + offering services like comb-overs, a pompadour, all textures, hot towel shaves + more.
- Bella La Vie Salon | 4525 S. Florida Ave. Ste #16 | Owner and founder, Charline Fulbright opened up this salon to bring unique and enjoyable spa experiences to Polk County. This salon not only offers hair services but spa + makeup services, as well.
- Crystal and Co Too Hair Salon | 105 Allamanda Dr. | Owned by Crystal Troutman. Scroll through Crystal and Co Too Hair Salon’s Facebook page for some before + after hair stories.
- Velvet Beauty Bar | 5036 Lunn Rd. | An upbeat salon that caters to people with all hair types.
- Lauren Nailed It | Book Online | Founded by Ashanti Lauren, a specialized nail technician.
- Second 2 None Barber Shop |1320 N. Florida Ave. | Owned by Jairus Rutherford. Jairus started his shop out of an “idea of being good at something and providing a fulfilling service.”
- Astan African Hairbraiding | 801 W. Memorial Blvd. | Professional African hair braiding shop, specializing in styles such as box braids.
- Tay Styles | Online | Shantavia Taylor started her business at age 22, with a desire to build self-esteem in women.
- Second2None Barbershop | N JL Redman Pkwy., Plant City | Get a fresh cut inside this cool, colorful shop.
- Body Allures | 328 South Indiana Ave. | Brittany Lewis, owner of this spa, specializes in specialty facials.
- Wax Haven | 2200 Havendale Blvd. NW, Winter Haven | This place is the first shop in Winter Haven that is dedicated solely to waxing.
- Glow Beauty Bar | 501 Peoples Ln. | Founded by Leeah Bell, offering services like light therapy, back facials, dermaplanes + more.
Health
- Midtown Dental | 607 S. Missouri Ave. | Once a year, Dr. Nerestant opens his office to offer free dental care to residents of Lakeland.
- T Fitness | 2611 New Orleans Ave. | Founded by Coach Tari T., whose passion for fitness began through his love of sports.
- Measure of Faith, LLC | Online | Tamara Williams created Measure of Faith, out her own struggles with weight gain.
- Open Door Apothecary | 165 E. Main St., Online | Order herb mixes like Stay Well Tea + Stress-Free Zone Tea and request a one-on-one wellness consultation.
- Higher Heights Group | 502 E. Main St. | Owned by Dena Goldfine, Higher Heights Group is a brand agency in natural foods, body care, and sustainable goods.
- Hip+Indie Botanica Wellness | Online | Whole-body holistic botanica
mind, body, and spirit care. - Sunshine Eyes Eyewear| Online | Founded by Lisa Sunshine. Scroll through custom eyewear designs here.
- Big Dreams Boxing Academy | 1853 E Memorial Blvd Suite 111 | Get a quote here to see what programs this fitness academy offers.
- Championship Performance Academy | Multiple locations | Founded by Chris Richard.
Food
- Uncle App’s | 1046 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave | With 11 flavor options and 5 portions sizes to choose from, Uncle App’s is where locals go if they want amazing chicken wings.
- Mom & Pops Soul to Soul | W. Memorial Blvd. | What’s better than food on the go? This food truck serves dishes like chicken and waffles, shrimp and chips, Philly steaks, + more for when you’re craving Southern comfort food on the run.
- SB&B Seafood Bar and Grill LLC | 1801 George Jenkins Blvd. | Stephanie Cumberbatch, the owner of this southern seafood restaurant, serves the community breakfast, lunch + dinner by the plate or pan.
- Lkld Food Tours | Book Online | Let your taste buds take you on a food tour around the City with founder, Nat Fleming.
- Krab Kingz Seafood Bartow | 750 W. Main St., Bartow | You had us at the fried lobster.
- Cha Che’s Kitchen | 825 S. Florida Ave | Located in the Sunoco, Cha Che’s Kitchen serves up meals like oxtail, mac and cheese + more.
- Sista’s with Soul | 1480 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. | Serving baked chicken, smothered pork chops + so much more.
- Amonie Jo’s Coffee | 118 Ave A SE. Winter Haven | Started by sisters Angie Baeten, Patrice Williams, and V’Asiah Joseph.
- The Best Blue Velvet Cupcake | Lakeland Square Mall, 3800 US Hwy. 98 N. | Newly opened, this cupcake shop offers gluten-free, sugar-free, vegan + dairy-free cupcakes.
- Gwendolyn’s Garden(GGSJUICE) | Online | Cold-pressed juices.
- Victor & Mika’s Bakery | Online/3106 Havendale Blvd. NW., Winter Haven | Gluten-free + vegan treats and dishes like churros, lasagna, empanadas + more.
- Babae’s Kitchen | 1323 Ariana St. | Serving southern/soul food styled home-cooked meals daily.
- Bea Lang Cajun Bags | Online | Cajun bags for true seafood lovers.
- Alévri & Co | Online | Showstopping cakes, macaroons + more by Dawn.
- Taste of Home Grill, Caribbean Restaurant | 502 E. Main St. | Contemporary Jamaican + southern cuisine.
- Carter’s BBQ | 907 2nd St. N. / 179 Burns Ave., Lake Wales | Ribs, pulled pork, beef, and chicken served southern-style.
- Barside Sports | 804 E. Memorial Blvd. | Deep-fried crab cakes, shrimp, oysters, tacos, and special happy hours.
- SW Caribbean Delights | 1310 W. Daughtery Rd. | Owner Shelly Williams has brought flavorful food from Montego Bay, Jamaica to Lakeland.
- Elite Catering Company | Online | Personal chef, corporate, meal prep, family dinner + more.
- M&M Spice Catering | Winter Haven | Specializes in vegan friendly meals, meal prep, personal dining, + events and parties.
- Essential Catering Solutions | 502 E. Main St. | From kiddie buffets to sensational salads.
- Tony’s Italian Ice | Online | See more colorful ice assortments here.
- 3 Jay Sweets | Online | From elegant cheesecakes to savory key lime cakes and pies.
- Slush City Catering | Online | Catering soul food, slushies, nachos + desserts.
- Tapola’s Italian Ice | Online | Flavors like candyfish (Swedish fish + candy), mango, banana, lemon, and more.
- Nutoriously Good NatuReally Good Snacks | Online | Vegan chocolate, cookies, snack cakes + more.
- Dee’s Gourmet Cinnamon Buns | 4040 Prima Lago Cir. | Everything you’d ever want on a cinnamon bun – like candied bacon bits, strawberry, and peach cobbler.
- Especially 4 U Restaurant and Catering | 550 E. Main St., Bartow | Lasagna, salmon croquettes, key lime + red velvet cakes, oxtails, rice + more.
- JazzysDiner | 3009 US-92, Winter Haven | Scroll through this gallery of food.
- Crab Craze LLC | 842 6th St. NW., Winter Haven | Blue crab, snow crab clusters, shrimp + crab cakes.
- Hollywood’s One Stop Shop | 3342 Winter Lake Rd. | Now selling graduation platters.
- Brendas Wings & Things | 1190 Polk St., Bartow | Read the reviews here.
- Unique Wings & Thangs | 1026 Texas Ave. | Home of the $5 deal boxes.
- Caribbean Queen American and Jamaican cuisine | Online | Beef stew with rice, cheeseburgers, wings + fried fish.
Events
- Inflatable Playables | 612 N. Ingraham Ave. | From yard letter signs to balloon numbers for parties + special events
- Any Event Linen & Chair Rental | P.O. BOX 6182, Lakeland | An award-winning boutique rental agency that specializes in weddings + events.
- The Petal Group | Online | Scroll through The Petal Group’s Facebook page to catch a glimpse at what these event planners do.
- DJ Red Stryke | Online | Need music for your wedding, birthday party, or corporate event?
- The Canvas Event Center | 3048 Cypress Gardens Rd, Winter Haven | This event center offers three set venue packages with customization options, along with apparel to match your occasion.
ForKids
- ISA Basketball Training | Online | For kids K-12th grade who wants to learn the game of basketball or improve on their game
- Wonder Here | 111 Florida Ave. S. | Co-founded in 2016 by Tiffany Thenor, Wonder Here is a learn and play studio in Lakeland that focuses on offering classes to kids.
All aboard Learning Station | 505 Peoples Ln. | Infants welcomed.
Home
- Kia Troutman, REALTOR, | Contact | Kia has worked in sales related customer service for over 18 years.
- The Pest Cartel | 3417 Southcrest Blvd. | The Pest Cartel specializes in commercial and residential pest prevention, and pest removal.
- Rustic with a Twist | Online | Custom home decor. Scroll through designs here.
- Scott Bryant Realty | Online | A real estate brokerage focused on educating home buyers + sellers across the state of Florida to make a real impact in their respective communities.
- Viewpoint Value Realty | Online | Search for your dream home here.
- NuJak Development | Online | Construction company NuJak Development, Inc. was founded on April 6, 1992, by Frank Kendrick.
- Sharonda Lawrence and Kiyanah Lawrence | Sharonda + Kiyanah are local Realtors with Lion’s Group Realty.
- Archidev, Devanne Pena | Online | Architect, who has worked on the Sanford Brewing Co., Dell Medical School, Durham Fitness and Wellness Center + more.
- The Pool Cartel | Online | Green pool cleaning service + weekly pool maintenance.
- Keishun Cassell: Allstate Insurance | 2126 E. Edgewood Dr. | Opened by Keishun Cassell in July 2015.
- Banks Imperial Pressure Washing | 49 Seaboard Ave., Lake Wales | Offering pressure/soft washing to residential and commercial properties.
- Move With Daryl | 218 East Pine Street | Daryl Ash has been a local Lakeland agent for over seven years and and has been featured on HDTV.
- Jill Dorsett, Real Estate | 5151 S Lakeland Dr Suite 6 | Partnered with Tribute Reality LLC, Jill Dorsett specializes is finding local home for Lakelanders.
Business Resources
- The Well Lakeland | Online | Training, development + networking opportunities.
- My Laser Focus | 122 E. Main St. | Kelvin McCree is the Chief Learning Officer of Laser Focus Leadership Solutions, LLC + founder of the 8 Organizational Brand Pillars SystemTM, a system that assists businesses with developing and strengthening structural and staff engagement pillars around a consistent brand message.
- Sunshine and Kirk LLC | Online | A global coaching and consulting company, family-owned and operated by husband + wife team, Tony Kirk + Lisa Sunshine.
- Balance Branding | Online | A resource to assist small businesses in communicating clearly and directly to their customers.
- Innovative Academy | 502 E. Main St. | A collective of creatives that explore different opportunities in job development.
- Black Flamingo (Videography and Marketing) | 3111 98 S. Ste. 106 | Owner: Duane Drisdom Jr. Specializes in any form of marketing.
- Simply Creative Designing | Online | Founded by Stayce Jones, to create designs for both small + large businesses.
Photography
- Photos by Titus | Online | Plant City-born Titus Moye created his photography business after realizing his love for photography.
- Blue Skies Visuals | Online | Founded by Demetrius Haynes. Scroll through more breathtaking photos on his Facebook page.
Dance/Fitness
- Crystal’s World of Dance | 801 Massachusetts Ave. | This dance studio has been serving the Lakeland community for 17 years.
- Dynamic 24 Fitness Center, Inc. | 3111 98 S. Ste. 106 | Owners Duane “Driz” Drisdom & Drisdom. Offers: Personal Training, Athletic Training, Nutritional Counseling, Healthy Lifestyle Change. First black-owned 24-hour gym serving the Lakeland community for over 20 years.
- Big Dreams Boxing Academy, LLC | 1853 E. Memorial Blvd. | A fitness studio/limited school that utilizes boxing, strength, and conditioning exercises that will enhance your overall body composition.
Misc.
- Hocus Pocus Comics | Online | Created by a husband and wife team who believe graphic novels are vital to the classroom and homeschool arena.
- Abisola Adeyemo, Author | Online + In Stores | Abisola Adeyemo, author of Melanin’s Motive, is a Polk County native that majored in Broadcast Journalism at the University of Central Florida.
- Ride & Shine Mobile Detailing Services | 1500 Hwy. 98 N. | Before + after pics of newly cleaned cars ahead.
- Swan City Improv | 202N S. Massachusetts Ave. | Live improv comedy in downtown Lakeland.
- Infinite Moving |109 Ambersweet Way #638, Davenport | For residential, commercial, labor only + packing needs.
Funeral Homes
- Cannon Funeral Home | 317 W. Memorial Blvd. | Owner Reginald Cannon has 17+ years of experience + a passion is to provide services that aren’t offered by any other funeral home in the state of FL, such as a full catered dinner service to our clients, personalized caskets, complimentary refreshments, and 24hr visitations ceremonies that would accommodate any schedule.
- Coney Funeral Home |1404 Martin L. King, Jr. Ave. | Sonji Coney-Williams has been around the funeral business for many years, as her family owned and operated a burial vault business since she was 12 years old.
Artists
- Deek Beatz | Online | Listen here.
- ILL2Def Studio | Online | An artist management group rooted in the sounds of hip hop and urban music and supporters of all local music of all genres. Led by local producer and engineer Darius Malloy, AKA RedStryke.
Additional Resources
But, wait. That’s not all. There are so many more conversations about supporting black businesses happening all around the City – on PolkWay863’s Instagram page, on Lakeland Good Group’s Facebook page, on BLM Lakeland Movement’s Facebook page, on Lakeland Magic’s Twitter post, on Black & Brew’s Instagram page, and on the BRIDGE Local Public Forum Facebook page, to name a few.
Thanks to all readers who sent in responses + those who reminded us about this website, with lists + categories of black-owned businesses to support in Florida. Use the links below to share this list with your family, friends, and neighbors throughout our community.