Black Restaurant Week Los Angeles starts on Friday, Sept. 9 through Sunday, Sept. 27. Los Angeles has added more than 3,500 Black-owned employer businesses between 2017 and 2023, placing it among the top metros in the country for Black business growth, as the number of Black-owned employer businesses nationwide surpassed 200,000 for the first time, according to a recent Brookings study.

Since 2016, Black Restaurant Week has supported more than 5,000 restaurateurs, bartenders, chefs, caterers, and food trucks across the country. Some of this year’s participants include 1010 Wine and Events, Oh My Burger, Harold’s Chicken LA, Obet & Del’s Coffee, Bludso’s BBQ, The Toast and Jam, and Joyce Soul and Sea. 

PopUp Bagels will open its new Studio City doors on Friday, Aug. 28, with a grand opening celebration from 8 a.m. to  11 a.m., complete with hot bagels, a DJ, merch giveaways, and a special opening-day collaboration with celebrity makeup artist Patrick Ta.

 PopUp Bagels and Patrick Ta have teamed up on a limited-edition Strawberry Shortcake schmear, available only at the Studio City location while supplies last on opening day. The Patrick Ta team will also be joining in on the fun with strawberry lip balms and blushes for guests,  while supplies last.

Black Restaurant Week

Pop Up Bagels (Alex Stein)

On Saturday, Aug. 23, from 11 a.m. until sell-out, Chef Bernhard Mairinger will be teaming up with the LA culinary legend Sherry Yard at her Manhattan Beach cafe, Bakery by the Yard, for chicken schnitzel sandwiches, Sherry’s famous everything bagel with smoked cod, heirloom beets and horseradish, tomato focaccia panzanella, and ice cream sandwiches. Rsvp here.

The third installment of Chef Alan Sanz’s (Daisy Margarita Bar, Mirate) Re: MEX culinary series hits Los Angeles on Thursday, Aug. 27, featuring a collaborative menu and specialty cocktails with the Orange County-based team behind DARKROOM and soon-to-open Three Eyed Tiger at Daisy Margarita Bar, while supplies last.  Additional details about the event and all participants can be found here. Reservations strongly suggested.

 The California Restaurant Show, featuring the Pizza Tomorrow Summit Pavilion, returns to the Anaheim Convention Center from Sunday, Aug. 23 to Tuesday, Aug. 25, bringing together thousands of restaurant, foodservice, and hospitality professionals for three days of education, culinary experiences, competitions, and networking.

Black Restaurant Week

Host Tyler Florence with Deadproof Pizza Co., Grounds Donut House, Hele Rolls, Jollof Bowl, Bug & Bear’s Cannoli, Stuph’d Beignets & Burgers, Cason Funnel Cakes, and Waffadilla team members on the new season of The Great Food Truck Race  (Courtesy Food Network)

With more than 7,000 industry professionals registered, 340 exhibit booths, including 110 new exhibitors, and a show floor that is 4,000 square feet larger than last year, the 2026 event reflects continued growth and momentum across California’s restaurant and hospitality industry. Attendees will include independent operators as well as representatives from nationally recognized restaurant, foodservice, and hospitality brands.

The expanded show will feature more than 60 hours of education, live culinary demonstrations and tastings, hundreds of products and solutions, the Pizza Tomorrow Summit Pavilion, the California Pizza Challenge, and programming developed in partnership with leading industry organizations, including the California Restaurant Association and Latino Restaurant Association.

The Culinary Innovation Theater will serve as a hub for live demonstrations, tastings, and mainstage conversations throughout the three-day event. Restaurateur, chef, author, and Food Network host Tyler Florence will take the stage to discuss his career, the evolution of the restaurant industry, and his newest cookbook, American Grill. The first 75 attendees at the session will receive a complimentary copy of the book.

What’s Popping Up is a column in the L.A. Weekly that explores everything new in food and drink