Though Chocolate City has become a little more vanilla over the years, it’s still a mecca (word to Howard University) for Black culture.

Black businesses in fact, make up the heart and soul of Washington D.C. LendingTree, the online lending marketplace, released a report earlier this year that found that the DC metro area ranked second on the list of places with the highest rate of Black-owned businesses. Overall, about 7.7% of businesses in the region have Black owners, which shakes out to be 8,649 out of 111,872 total businesses.

While staples such as Ben’s Chili Bowl and Ooh’s & Aah’s will always have our hearts, some newcomers are definitely making their mark as well. From bookstores to bars, here are some of our favorite loud and proud Black-owned D.C. businesses.

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