First-ever Black-owned pizza and beer chain started by three friends in Tenn goes nationwide

Slim and Husky’s Pizza Beeria was founded by three Tennessee friends in 2017: Clinton Gray, Derrick Moore, and Emanuel Reed. The restaurant initially began in their native state, Tennessee, serving artisan pizzas in “underserved communities and more.”

Three years on, the pizza and beer restaurant chain is offering delivery services nationwide. According to Black Business, the firm is partnering with Gold Belly, a national shipping service, to achieve this latest business operation, which will offer everything from frozen pizzas to cinnamon rolls right to the doorsteps of customers nationwide.

Slim and Husky’s Pizza Beeria is a fast-casual and gourmet pizza joint serving up artisan pizzas and unique cinnamon rolls made with locally sourced ingredients, a statement on its website says, adding that its menu is inspired by hip hop and R&B.

The three Nashville natives behind the joint “aim to invigorate less touched areas of the community through employment opportunities and accessible dining experiences.”

With its latest business partnership, Slim and Husky’s, despite having operations in Tennessee, Georgia and California, will now reach more customers in all 50 states to have pizza delivered to them.

Gray, Reed and Moore are expanding their business at a time when the pandemic has negatively impacted Black-owned businesses. Besides Black businesses being negatively impacted, in Memphis, 110,000 eateries have closed permanently this year due to COVID-19. According to the National Restaurant Association, 10,000 eateries have closed within the past three months alone.

“The confidence of the consumer has dropped tremendously,” Derrick Moore, Slim and Husky’s Chief Development Officer, was quoted by FOX13. “They don’t know if it’s going to be shut down or opened up all the way, 50 percent, 25 percent to zero.”

“I would just encourage people to push through but be smart about it because it is capital intense and you have to have your funds right and the structure of your business sound,” he added.

Each Slim & Husky’s Pizza Beeria is constructed with the community’s culture and dynamics in mind, according to Gary, who serves as the brand’s chief marketing officer. He said each restaurant begins with the desire to provide jobs, capacity building and other development opportunities for people in a community.

From a humble beginning, Slim and Husky’s pizza is one of the most sought after in the U.S. Slim & Husky’s Pizza Beeria has been featured on the 101 Best Pizzas in America, ranking 5th.

Before starting Slim and Husky’s, the three friends ran one business together — Green Truck Moving Co. They sold it in 2017 for $1.25 million