Black Restaurant Week aims to highlight Black-owned restaurants in the city and suburbs through promotions and special deals. Restaurant owners hope to strengthen their businesses after a tough two years.
Black Restaurant Week aims to highlight Black-owned restaurants in the city and suburbs through promotions and special deals. Restaurant owners hope to strengthen their businesses after a tough two years.
Aisha Haire/Haire’s Famous Gulf Shrimp
Finnie Haire, the founder of Haire’s Gulf Shrimp on the city’s South Side, has died of kidney failure, according to his wife. Haire first launched the iconic shrimp shack in the early 1980s out of a train caboose and is remembered as an charismatic entrepreneur with big dreams for his beloved brand. Haire, who died on January 26, was 80.
The restaurant, perched near the corner of 75th Street and Vincennes Avenue in Greater Grand Crossing, is the latest home for the nearly 40-year-old business. It’s a no-frills counter-service spot that’s sold fried shrimp by the bag (called “bomb bags”) to generations of local fans and visitors. They can also find cole slaw, fries, and spaghetti, but regulars know the real star: fresh and golden fried shrimp. The food made Haire a celebrity. According to an obituary, Haire was also the first Black food vendor at Comiskey Park, the home of the Chicago White Sox.