Mo' better Zanzibar Blue

Black Enterprise, Dec, 1996 by Caroline V. Clarke

The wall above the toilet may seem like an odd place to hang beautiful art. But that's precisely where you'll find Leroy Campbell's "No Man's Band," a captivating print of several black '20s-era musicians - all women, dressed to the nines, attitude-for-days, stunning.

Somehow, at Zanzibar Blue, the hottest jazz cafe Philadelphia has ever known, the ladies room seems the perfect place for this piece. Like Zanzibar Blue itself, "No Man's Band" - even in the commode - leaves a lasting impression.

"When I go somewhere that pays that much attention to detail in the ladies room, I know they pay attention to everything else," says Wanda Daniels, a Zanzibar Blue regular.

As vice president of finance and administration for Philadelphia's Convention and Visitors Bureau, Daniels is a seasoned patron of the city's restaurant scene. And she knows that, for all its niceties, the restaurant business is tough. To succeed, you need a great location, great food, great service and constant traffic. Even with all that, profit margins are slim and good help is hard to train - and harder to keep. Customers are finicky and demanding and their tastes are ever-changing. To keep them loyal, you have to stay a step ahead. Consistent quality, impeccable service and small details - right down to the bathroom decor - never cease to be essential.

Robert Bynum and Benjamin Bynum Jr. know this all too well. The young brothers, both in their 30s, have joined the ranks of Philadelphia's most respected and successful restaurateurs. Their sleek and sophisticated Zanzibar Blue supper club and jazz cafe is still packed on weekends, even after six years and a move across town. Many fine restaurants never even live that long. Sixteen months ago, they tested their success by opening Warmdaddy's, which couples the blues with good old-fashioned Southern cooking. Despite some skepticism, it took off immediately. Like Zanzibar Blue, Warmdaddy's gave Philly something it needed and, apparently, wanted.

Aside from serving up good mood and food on a daily basis - no easy task in and of itself - the Bynums are being credited with breathing new life into Philly's live music scene. The cost and headache of booking national and local acts on a regular basis hardly seems worth it, but it has given their businesses a competitive edge and earned them a loyal following. Their in spots have become best known, however, for being perhaps the only multicultural social centers in Philadelphia. Apparently, before the Bynums came along, black and white professionals rarely hung out together in the City of Brotherly Love.

No doubt that's why Romona A. Riscoe, executive director of the city's Multicultural Affairs Congress, says the Bynums have played a crucial role in earning Philadelphia top honors as a travel and tourism destination for African Americans by the U.S. Travel and Tourism Administration. "The perception of Philadelphia has been that it's a historic, conservative, even stoic, city," says Riscoe. "The Bynums' places have helped people shift their thinking. [Zanzibar Blue and Warmdaddy's] are the epitome of what we want to be from a promotions standpoint - a happening city."

At the root of such accolades are two refreshingly low-key entrepreneurs. What they may lack in flash, they more than make up for in commitment. And that's good. Because Robert and Ben's success depends on an intense level of personal and professional involvement in their businesses. The payoff so far has been significant, but the best may be yet to come. For if their savvy, luck and stamina hold, they may one day rank among the most successful black restaurateurs - and perhaps franchisors - in the nation.

IS YOUR LOCAL "BLACK"

RESTAURANT BLACK-OWNED?

African American culture is heavily rooted in our distinctive, rich food and music, and its appeal to white America is legendary. So, the Bynums' formula, which combines the two, seems unbelievably obvious. And yet, African Americans own a mere 4,571 eating and drinking establishments out of 407,824 nationwide, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Translated into a percentage, that barely registers 0.5%. And the list of black restaurateurs who have achieved national acclaim is short: There's Sylvia Woods of Sylvia's in New York, Brad Johnson of Georgia in L.A., Barbara Smith of B. Smith's in Washington and New York, and a few others to round out the handful. But Smith, like many prominent restaurateurs, black and white, is not the majority owner of the bistro that bears her name. Capital for African Americans is tough to get, and the high-risk reputation of the restaurant industry doesn't help.

That reality is a source of deep frustration to Michael Vann, a co-founder and co-owner of New York's popular upscale black hangout, The Shark Bar, as well as a new spot, Soul Cafe. "What we own in a $220 billion industry is minuscule to nonexistent," says Vann. "Black people spend $30 billion a year dining out. That's 13% of the demand, and we own little more than 0% of the supply side. Meanwhile, our cuisine and culture are extremely underrepresented." Where bankers and venture capitalists tend to see a valley of risk, Vann sees a mountain of opportunity going untapped. This industry represents a "final frontier" for African American entrepreneurs who have the right recipes as well as a high degree of management and marketing know-how, he believes.