Celebrating Black-Owned
Business in San Bernardino
The
Black community in San Bernardino has a vibrant history. From Lizzy Flake
Rowan, a freed slave who played a major role in the city’s development in the
1850s, to Darren Goodman, the first Black police chief in San Bernardino, the
Black community is an important player in the city’s prosperity.
Retail,
restaurants, nonprofits, health providers, and more make up San Bernardino’s
Black-owned business community. I Love Chicken and Waffles, one of the newer Black-owned
restaurants in the city, opened twice–once in 2020, before the pandemic, and
again in 2021. Launching a restaurant just before shutdowns didn’t deter owner
Demico Sherman and his family from continuing to pursue their dream.
San Bernardino natives and brothers, Demico and Ryan Sherman, opened I Love Chicken and Waffles with the help of their family.
“Growing up in San Bernardino, my family and I noticed there was a lack of homestyle soul food,” said Sherman. “My brother and I were event planners, my wife is a chef, and my family was eager to support our dream of opening a restaurant. Together, we opened I Love Chicken and Waffles and it continues to be a family affair.”
The entire family plays a role in I Love Chicken and Waffles’ success. Brothers Demico and Ryan Sherman are the owners. Demico’s wife, Kenya, is the head chef, and his mother, Debra, cooks as well. Demico and Ryan’s father, Diamond, also helps with restaurant operations and their cousin, Deangelo is a partner. The brothers also had the support of two non-family partners, Obadiah Baldwin and the late Demetrius Mayo. The collaboration and everybody-pitch-in approach from the family has helped the I Love Chicken and Waffles restaurant reach success during the pandemic and beyond.
“We get tremendous support from the local community,” shared Sherman. “They can feel the love when they walk in. And they come back for the top-tier service, the authentic food, and the entertainment we offer.”
Visit I Love Chicken and Waffles for homestyle, soul food favorites.
The I Love Chicken and Waffles menu features its classic namesake dish, and other homestyle favorites such as collard greens, hush puppies, and BBQ fish. I Love Chicken and Waffles recently expanded its space to accommodate large events, holding as many as 800 people for movie nights, Lucha Libre fights, and more.
Sherman shares that the Black-owned businesses in the Inland Empire are eager to share resources and help each other out. Tammy Martin-Ryles, President of the Black Chamber of Commerce Inland Empire, couldn’t agree more.
“Our members get the most value when they participate,” said Martin-Ryles. “We see enormous success from Black-owned businesses when they collaborate, share, and contribute their ideas and resources. The Black Chamber of Commerce Inland Empire is set up to help Black business owners know the resources they have available to them, but our greater goal is to create an environment where Black business owners can have a community where they can rely on each other.”
For more information and resources, visit blackchamberofcommerce.org/inland-empire.