On March 27, 1975, Roberta “Ms. Bert” Cole Brassel walked into the building that she would transform into a longstanding staple of the Hill District – The Black Beauty Lounge. With funding from her aunt and uncle, she set out to create a place for love, laughter, and community. She says the business was also meant to plant a seed that would create generational wealth for her family.
For nearly 50 years, The Black Beauty Lounge has stood as a welcoming space where neighbors can gather, celebrate, and feel at home — a cornerstone of culture and connection in the Hill District.
Now, five decades later, Ms. Bert is celebrating the re-opening of her restaurant, newly named Black Beauty Bar & Grill, following more than a year of renovations. With the next generation now leading the charge, the family is in a position to reinvest in their legacy — and in their community — in an even deeper way.
“My dream was to give this neighborhood something that it never had.” – Ms. Bert
Ms. Bert, along with her three children – Tracy, Frank, and Kim – began work on this exciting new chapter of the family business in March of 2024. We’re proud to say that we’ve been working alongside them for just as long, with support from our entire Neighborhood Development team.
In July of 2024, we granted Black Beauty a $25,000 predevelopment grant to assist in preparing for more complex renovations. From the Urban Redevelopment Authority, they received a $91,515 grant as part of the Avenues of Hope American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Program, as well as an additional $39,000 in the form of an outdoor dining grant. As partners, we supported them in managing each of these grants effectively – helping them to comply with the guidelines set forth by the ARPA grant and serving directly as the administrator for the outdoor dining grant. Ultimately, we aimed to maximize the funding’s impact and bring Black Beauty’s vision to life.
Our Social Impact Designer, Jordan Swartz, assisted in early design concepts for the outdoor patio, working to create renderings of possible configurations. Our SID team also assisted with city permitting processes and compliance with structural and environmental guidelines. We were then able to connect them to vetted contractors in our network to carry out the work.
Demi Kolke, Director of Community Investments, and Glenn Grayson, Jr., Senior Program Manager for Real Estate Development, worked with the family week after week to move the project along. Glenn most often assisted with the on-the-ground work, helping Frank manage contractors, work schedules, and ever-changing construction costs. Demi provided vital administrative support, working alongside Tracy to ensure that everything behind the scenes was always in order.
Many meetings and over 100 hours of technical assistance later, Ms. Bert’s dream of bringing something new to the neighborhood came true on October 14th at the restaurant’s ribbon cutting and grand re-opening.
“I was born and raised on the Hill. I’ve seen it burn down, I was here during the riots, and I’m here for the new birth of the Hill. And I’m so glad to be a part of what’s coming to this neighborhood.”
Roberta “Ms. Bert” Cole Brassel
At the re-opening, stakeholders, partners, family, friends, and even members of the construction team gathered to see the culmination of the project and enjoy food and drinks from the new menu together. During his remarks, Glenn recalled how embedded in the project each family member was.
“This was a generational project,” said Glenn. “This [new space] honors the history of Black Beauty Lounge while also moving in a new direction. And I love that.”
“Something that makes this project different from other projects like it is the family’s commitment to seeing it through,” Demi agreed. “This was a partnership with the family to honor Ms. Bert’s legacy.”
“I’m so grateful to Neighborhood Allies and to God. And to all the prayers that people gave me for this.” – Ms. Bert
