How Black business owners in Pittsburgh are coping amid the pandemic

Chef Claudy Pierre of Arnold’s Tea at the Energy Innovation Center, where he is preparing food as part of the E.A.T. Initiative. (Courtesy photo)

Muffy Mendoza | May 11, 2020

Chef Claudy Pierre had planned for a busy St. Patrick’s Day at Arnold’s Tea on the North Side. Instead, as COVID-19 restrictions took hold, he closed his business and took the excess food he had stocked up on to help the community.

Pierre and his crew set up a food stand outside of his business to feed people between 3 and 7 p.m.

“We tried to stay open for a few weeks, but we just weren’t making enough to pay staff and keep the business open, but we could still feed people nutritious, flavorful meals with the E.A.T. Initiative,” Pierre said.

Thanks to $10,000 in grants from Bridgeway Capital and Neighborhood Allies, Pierre and his small team are feeding hundreds of Pittsburghers from Thursday to Sunday. Now, Pierre is cooking out of a full-service kitchen at the Energy Innovation Center in the Hill District with food provided by food banks and organizations like 412 Food Rescue. Read more here