And Chicago is in the top 10 cities seeing the most population growth in the country.
“I think that people are drawn to Chicago because of the city. It’s beautiful,” said Shaneka Fields. She is the operations manager for the Black-owned soul food kitchen, Soulé Chicago, located in the predominantly Black neighborhood of North Lawndale.
“And despite what the news says,” Fields continued, “we have a beautiful city. It has a lot to offer. And we have a lot of events.”
Fields said that tourism is a big part of what keeps Soulé afloat. Events, she said, bring out-of-towners to the establishment. The restaurant also attracts celebrities; rapper Lil Baby visited the eatery back in June. Social media food critic Keith Lee recently named Chicago in his top three food cities – and it wasn’t number three.
Fields said one summer event that propelled business for Soulé this year was the Chicago Greek Weekend in July. The three-day celebration welcomes members of historically Black Greek-letter fraternities and sororities.
“Soulé has become somewhat of a tourist attraction, and we are grateful for that. We have a lot of people that visit from out of town, new and repeat,” Fields said. “I’ll ask, ‘How’d you hear about us?’ And they go, ‘Oh, there’s an AKA [Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.] convention, and you guys were on the list.’ Or someone will say, ‘Oh, you guys were highly recommended.’”
Fields added that Chicago’s vast history is also its selling point. Although Choose Chicago does not track data on which sites are the most popular, some of the destinations that highlight the legacy of Black Chicago that have attracted many tourists include the DuSable Museum in Hyde Park, the Victory Monument in Bronzeville and the Pullman Porter Museum in Pullman.
Some of Chicago’s Black history was front and center this year as Ryan Coogler’s original horror film Sinners hit the big screen in April. The movie showcases Chicago blues legend and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Buddy Guy. His restaurant and music venue, Buddy Guy’s Legends in the South Loop, is a longtime Chicago staple and is recognized as a world-class venue.
“There’s so much history in Chicago, aside from the fact that Chicago is just a beautiful city,” Fields said. “I mean, I’ve been in Chicago my entire life, and every year I’m learning something new about Chicago.”
People from across the country come to visit for events that uplift Chicago’s Black culture, such as the Chicago House Music Festival and Conference and the two-week-long XL Film Festival, which was put on by and showcased Black creatives. Comedian Kevin Fredericks, better known by his stage name of KevOnStage, attended the XL Film Fest. He visited heralded restaurants across the city to do taste tests, stating that one of his favorite things about the city is how Chicagoans can never agree on the best food spots, giving him a reason to keep coming back to try more.
