Immigrant Food lands first institutional investment to expand into Virginia
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Hollywood, Fla. – Sept. 12, 2023 - - BlueKey Equity Partners (BKEP), a leading investment firm specializing in small and mid-capital growth companies, is proud to announce its recent investment in Immigrant Food, a mission-driven food innovator, for-profit, social enterprise restaurant group.
Founded in Washington, DC, Immigrant Food combines delicious gastronomy inspired by immigrant recipes while also advocating, educating, and celebrating the importance of immigrants to the United States’ cultural diversity and economic wellbeing.
“Part of our mission at BKEP is to actively support and promote businesses that benefit underserved segments of our society, including new immigrants to America, “ said Ken Brown, a BKEP partner and board member of Immigrant Food. “We appreciate and endorse the innovative approach taken by Immigrant Food toward assisting new immigrants, educating the public, and advocating for just and effective immigration policies. Basically, Immigrant Food celebrates the story of immigration in America. We are all part of that proud story.”
Since 2020, the restaurant group has expanded to three locations in DC. Immigrant Food partners with five local NGOs and donates parts of its space for volunteer trainings, English lessons, and citizenship education. Guests can engage directly with the immigrant community through Immigrant Food's Engagement Menu that changes weekly. The company also combats against misinformation through a monthly digital magazine, The Think Table. It focuses on one immigration issue each month with guest experts and original infographics.
“We are so grateful to BKEP for supporting our mission,” said Immigrant Food co-founder and COO Téa Ivanovic. “Our restaurant group incorporates social advocacy into a strong business model, combining advocacy, change, and community with an exceptional dining experience. We serve world flavors with a mission, and call it “gastroadvocacy”.”
Peter Schechter and Téa Ivanovic, the Group’s founders, decided to build a restaurant business because restaurants have always been the place where immigrants made a living, created community and proudly exhibited their cooking heritage. The founders take it a step further by turning their restaurants into a home for advocacy, support and education.
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About BlueKey Equity Partners
BlueKey Equity Partners is a private investment firm specializing in small and mid-capital growth companies. With a focus on private lending, core real estate, and business investment, BlueKey Equity Partners leverages partnerships between investors, principals, and communities to provide capital, innovative solutions, and strategic expertise to its portfolio throughout the investment cycle.
About Immigrant Food
Founded in Washington, DC, Immigrant Food combines delicious gastronomy inspired by immigrant recipes while also advocating, educating, and celebrating the importance of immigrants to the cultural diversity and economic wellbeing of the United States. Since the pandemic, the restaurant group has expanded to three locations in DC and plans to open a fourth location in Virginia in 2024.
Media Contact: Julie Spechler Fink for BlueKey Equity Partners l Phone: (954) 401-1425 l juliespechler@gmail.com
Media Contact: Vicki Holcomb for Immigrant Food 703.407.5867 | Vicki@ElevenElevenPR.co|