Business Owners Very Pleased With Turnout For Black Shop Friday, Campaign Urging People To Shop At Black-Owned Businesses

CHICAGO (CBS) -- In the days leading to Black Friday, a campaign was launched to encourage people to shop at Black-owned businesses.

So how did that campaign do on the busiest shopping day of the year? CBS 2's Jim Williams had a look at the scorecard.

No matter your budget, you'll likely find an attractive holiday gift here at The Silver Room, at 1506 E. 53rd St. in Hyde Park.

"The Silver Room is a little bit of everything for everybody," said owner Eric Williams. "We have prices that range from $5 up to five, six, seven hundred."

Owner Williams has been in business for 24 years - the first 17 in Wicker Park, the seven years on 53rd Street in Hyde Park. So when he describes his sales this Black Friday, it's eye-opening.

"Black Friday was great. "I think it was our busiest Black Friday ever," he said. "We had tons of support from the community."

That was just what the organizers of the Black Shop Friday campaign wanted to hear. As we showed you last week, they encouraged shoppers to consider 700 Black-owned businesses in Chicago listed on their website.

"People say they want to change the world," said Tracy Powell. "We say we just want to change the world around us."

Powell and Nikki Bravo, owners of two Momentum Coffee shops - one in the South Loop, the other next to the ice rink at Millennium Park – told us they saw brisk sales on Black Friday.

Williams said the pandemic has made his customers more appreciative of the in-store experience this year.

In his various ventures, Eric Williams employs 15 people. That is 15 people contributing to the economic vitality of their community.

"The community understands the importance of supporting not just small business, but Black-owned businesses — what it does for society in general," Williams said. "The economics of our community. Mitigating violence. Just a whole ecosystem of what it does to support small business."

Soon, Eric Williams will soon add even more people to his payroll. He's starting a winery.

And success paying dividends well beyond the walls of the shop.

Recently, former President Barack Obama praised Eric Williams as "doing outstanding work" and "making things happen in Hyde Park."