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"That Brown Bag" highlights minority businesses in Buffalo

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This brown bag is not filled with what is typically in the classic lunch container. "That Brown Bag" is filled with information about minority businesses in Buffalo. 

"I think it is important for us to help and build our communities of color," Phylicia Dove, owner of Black Monarchy, a business in the booklet said. 

"That Brown Bag" is Buffalo's Black Business directory created by Shantelle Patton to have a resource for the community to support local businesses. There are 170 minority owned businesses that are highlighted in this booklet. It's aim is to encourage people to shop within their neighborhoods. 

"People are really interested in the mom and pop story," Shantelle Patton, creator of "That Brown Bag" said. "There is a resurgence of shop small to keep individual dreams alive." 

A main reason to create the directory is to help give minority businesses more exposure. She hopes this resource will provide a source of information so people can't say "I didn't know". 

"The minority dollar within the minority communities for hours at a time versus our counterparts," Patton added. "And their dollars remaining for days, weeks, and sometimes even months within the community and recycling our dollar and reinvesting in the community is what helps these communities thrive." 

The name for the booklet came from Patton's 20 year-old-son. Shes says he likes to comment that he is always chasing "the bag" aka money and businesses are trying to do that same thing. 

"And of course with it being a brown and black business directory, it seemed only fitting to call it "That Brown Bag," Patton added.  

Patton is still accepting businesses to add to the directory and ultimate goal is to create an app for the resource. 

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