Harlem Hops offers hope and more to the local community: "We want to support the little guy"
NEW YORK -- One of New York City's only Black-owned craft breweries brings more than beer to the community. Harlem Hops continues to grow its mission to give back.
HBCU graduates Kevin Bradford, Kim Harris and Stacey Lee Spratt opened Harlem Hops with a shared passion for a cold brew. They discovered their innate affinity for appreciating the craft is ancestral, with the earliest known brewing casks discovered in Egypt.
"We were the founders, the creators of the original American Lager recipe, but we don't get this credit anymore," Harris told CBS2's Jessi Mitchell on Thursday. "I think our ancestors want that story told, and we're here to yell at every chance we get."
The bar features lesser-known brands, from businesses exclusively owned by women and people of color.
"It's not just Black-owned," said Bradford. "We're supporting all small breweries, all small batch."
"We want to support the little guy," added Harris. "We want to promote and give them the voice, and that's why we don't have these large brands in our space."
The business stayed successful by pivoting during the pandemic, offering beverages to-go, and building enough of a buffer to provide Harlem Hops scholarships to Harlem students attending HBCUs, like they did.
"These young people that are walking up and down the street see Black entrepreneurs and they know that they can do they see a mirror image of themselves," said Spratt.
The three had help in their endeavor through the United Way's Together We Thrive program, created to combat the disproportionate effect of COVID-19 on Black businesses.
"We connected them with a mentor," said director of small business and workforce development Stefanie Alleyne, "and then, after that, it's really just been a matter of making sure they have opportunities so they can continue to expand their consumer base."
Expansion plans go beyond the bar, as the trio looks to bring their brews to connoisseurs across the country.
"We're really looking at growing Harlem Hops in many different places and spaces," said Spratt.
"It's an opportunity for us to give back to every community that we're going to be in," added Harris, "and that's what's more important for us."
Harlem Hops is open every afternoon and evening on Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard between 133rd and 134th Streets.
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