AT THE TABLE: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Writer: Karla Walsh

We had no idea what was in store when we published this focus on Black-owned eateries in June. At the time, we vowed to make a concerted effort to make the food coverage in dsm more equitable. The next week marked the launch of this series highlighting Black-owned food businesses—which will continue and eventually evolve to highlight a variety of culinary-related companies owned by people of color.

What’s grown from this in just four months has been quite magical. Friendships have been forged, the dsm audience has shown up, and the people behind the brands have continued to innovate and evolve. With that in mind, for the next two stories, we wanted to share “where are they now?” updates from a few of the owners to allow some of the previously featured individuals to bring us up to date.

Be sure to keep an eye on the “Snagged the Recipe” feature in the November/December issue of dsm, which is where you’ll find Jasmine Hayes of Jazz It Up’s out-of-this-world Bananas Foster Banana Bread Sundaes. You can also see her now-famous hands featured in recipe demo videos on Food & Wine’s website and social channels, including this busiate with pork ragù and Madhur Jaffrey's green lentil curry.

Since her story, Kiana Hines of Kiana’s Cookie Creations has started baking and decorating cookies full time. The demand for her custom sugar cookies continues to be high, and she’s introduced some new menu items including “Little Dippers” we can’t wait to try—think of them like grown-up and more gourmet Dunkaroos. Check out the latest and greatest on her Facebook page.

“Our numbers spiked up for pre orders from July to September, so we decided to go from one pre-order each month to two,” reports Amara Sama of Palm’s Caribbean Cuisine. In July and August, Palm’s participated in the DSM Eats program (put on by the City of Des Moines using CARES Act funding) and provided over 2,500 meals to Des Moines residents in need of hot meals. “For the remainder of the year we plan to just do one pre-order each month, and the next one will be on Saturday.” Same says. Learn more about that and future ordering opportunities here.

Soon after the most recent At the Table feature went live, Andrea Reddick of Big Momma’s Catering and her husband/business partner Daron were featured on a segment that aired on Channel 5 News. “We discussed what it’s been like starting a business during a pandemic,” Reddick says.

WOOLY'S LOOKS AHEAD AS PANDEMIC TAKES TOLL

Writer: Allaire Nuss

The pandemic has hit the music industry hard, particularly local venues that rely on live entertainment. Over the next few weeks, we’ll cover several Des Moines music venues and provide updates on how they’ve handled the past few months. You can read last week's feature on xBk Live here.

After one of its most successful years in 2019, Wooly’s is now staring in the face of one of its worst.

The East Village music venue has gone seven months with virtually no income, says owner and operator Sam Summers. That has led to budget deficits; the business has lost up to $30,000 every month during the pandemic. Summers says he's had to use personal money to get through the past several months.

“Filling that gap from when we closed down is really important because nobody’s going to be able to make that up once we open,” Summers says. “We’re just going to be sitting here with this debt that we can’t pay off.”

Wooly’s has reopened, but in a limited fashion. There aren’t many touring acts to book, as tours have been nearly eliminated because of differing lockdown restrictions in each state and the general health concerns around COVID-19. Most of Wooly’s recent in-person shows have featured local cover bands. Each show requires masks, and those who attend are assigned seating to ensure proper distancing.

Summers is happy to see live music return to his stage, especially since so many of his peer organizations have turned to livestreamed shows. Summers has been intentional about staying away from online performances.
“Going to a concert is a highly emotional experience for people that you don’t really get from livestreaming,” Summers says. “There’s that personal connection that you get being around people.”

But even with the slow re-emergence of live music, things aren’t quite the same. Summers notes that shows that would normally attract 400 people now only draw 70. In short, attendance alone isn’t enough to get Wooly’s through the foreseeable future, Summers says.

That’s why grants are still essential. Various grants have helped Wooly’s retain staff and make in-person shows possible. Summers is also hopeful about the Save Our Stages initiative by the National Independent Venue Association, which is raising money and pushing the U.S. Congress to provide relief for struggling venues.

“When we come out of this, which we will, hopefully we go back to the way things were in 2019, which is kind of just grinding and getting by,” Summers says.

Despite the circumstances, Summers is still confident that Wooly’s will stay afloat through the winter and into next year. He and his team are looking ahead, booking in-person shows for 2021 and beyond. When people ask Summers how they can help support Wooly’s in the meantime, his answer is simple: “When we put shows up and when you’re comfortable buying tickets, buy tickets. That’s the best way to get money directly into our hands.”

Find out more about Wooly’s upcoming live shows here.

STEVEN VAIL HOSTS FIRST EXHIBITION IN 5 YEARS