A local group on Facebook has been constantly posting local Black-owned businesses to help consumers be more aware of the businesses that are accessible in the area.
Buy Black Tally, a local, private group on Facebook, was created to share a variety of Black-owned businesses located in Tallahassee and surrounding areas.
Quentin Farmer is the moderator of the Facebook group. He says the inspiration behind creating Buy Black Tally is to acknowledge the people behind these businesses.
“The inspiration behind the group is the Black business owners,” Farmer said. “There are a lot of Black-owned businesses in Tallahassee that no one knew about. By creating this group, it gives owners the opportunity to get their businesses out.”
Farmer says Buy Black Tally is helpful when it comes to people becoming aware of local Black-owned businesses.
“Black-owned businesses have benefitted in several ways,” Farmer said. “Without this group, a lot of Black-owned businesses would still be unknown.”
As a moderator, Farmer is responsible for making sure that people know what local businesses are Black-owned.
“My role as the moderator is to keep the Black community informed of Black businesses in Tallahassee,” Farmer said. “Also, I’m like the group cheerleader. I keep the fire going.”
Tiffany Washington, the owner of Pink Daisy’s Sweet Shop, is a member of Buy Black Tally. She was inspired to create her business after the passing of her grandmother, who she enjoyed spending time with in the kitchen.
“I’ve been baking since I was 8 or 9 years old,” Washington said. “My grandmother (Daisy Mae) was a baker and I developed passion while spending time with her in the kitchen over the years. When she passed away in 2016, I decided to turn my pain into passion by doing what we both loved to do. Pink Daisy’s Sweet Shop was birthed out of love for my grandmother and baking. I specialize in old fashion goodies with a spin of today’s trends.”
Washington has had a positive experience as a member of Buy Black Tally.
“Being a member of Buy Black Tally has been a great experience,” Washington said. “I’ve interacted and networked with other members, and even gained some customers. It’s so wonderful to be a part of a community made of so many talented entrepreneurs.”
Hard PoP Café owner Maurice Simmons is also a member of Buy Black Tally. He and his partner created the concept a few years before officially opening over the summer.
“We started coming up with the idea about two or three years ago,” Simmons said. “My partner wanted to design something or have a café-type of atmosphere for Florida A&M University students so they could come down here.”
The inspiration behind creating Hard PoP Café was the lack of popcorn shops in Tallahassee and surrounding areas.
“Popcorn is a small niche market here,” Simmons said. “There are no popcorn shops here in town. For our customers that have come through, a lot of them are open-minded. They were close-minded, but this opportunity and experience opened their minds to the world of popcorn with the flavors you can have.”
Simmons says Buy Black Tally has helped them gain more customers.
“A lot of older people are marketing on Facebook,” Simmons said. “With college students going out of town, they’ve been our livelihood. Buy Black Tally has been one group that has no restrictions on reposting or what you can post. It’s definitely great for marketing and advertising.”