Beyoncé donated £8,000 to a Nigerian restaurant in north London that was in trouble and threatened to close due to rising utility bills.
Chuku’s, a Nigerian tapas restaurant in Tottenham run by brother and sister Emeka and Ifeyinwa Frederik, was one of 10 winners to receive a grant from music superstar 41 this month.
As part of her incredible Renaissance World Tour, BeyGOOD, the Halo hitmaker’s foundation, had pledged to donate a share of $1 million (£806,000) to ten companies in cities around the world.
They include Atlanta, New Orleans, Chicago and London – where Bey (worth an estimated £420 million) took the stage five times in May and June, performing at the nearby Tottenham Hotspur stadium.
While Chuku’s has built an impressive following since opening in 2020, they faced tough times after launching during the pandemic, including struggling with the cost of rising utility bills.
Hero: Beyoncé donated £8,000 to a troubled Nigerian restaurant in North London, which was under threat of closure due to rising utility bills (pictured on her show in Hamburg on Wednesday)
Congratulations: Chuku’s, a Nigerian tapas restaurant in Tottenham run by brother and sister duo Emeka and Ifeyinwa Frederik, was one of 10 winners to receive a scholarship this month from the music superstar, 41
At the end of last year, the restaurant set itself a huge challenge to get 600 bookings in six weeks. And impressively, they managed to get their hands on a whopping 801.
Emeka and Ifeyinwa faced a wealth of support from the local community, A-list celebrities and footballers eager to sample Chuku’s unique take on traditional Nigerian dishes.
And now they’ve received an extra boost from the Beyonce Foundation, with the grant awarded at The Black Parade Small Business Impact Luncheon, created by BeyGOOD to “celebrate people, communities and small businesses impacted by economic inequality worldwide.” ‘.
The luncheon was held at the Four Seasons in Tower Hill, where 100 entrepreneurs gathered for the chance to win $100,000 (£806,090) in prizes.
And with over 400 entries, the win was all the sweeter for the duo as they were only part of the two percent of winners on the night.
Chuku co-founder Emeka said of the win, “This grant couldn’t be more welcome. Chuku’s, like other restaurants that lack financial reserves, has been battered by lockdowns and the crisis of the cost of living.
“Every day we fight to stay open to make it to our fourth birthday. This money will make that struggle a little easier and we can continue to celebrate Nigerian culture on Tottenham’s High Road for the time being.’
While his sister Ifeyinwa added: ‘I still can’t quite believe that Beyoncé has supported our restaurant – it feels a bit surreal.
Generous: As part of her incredible Renaissance World Tour, BeyGOOD, the Halo hitmaker’s foundation, had pledged to donate a share of $1 million (£806,000) to ten companies in cities around the world
What a star: ‘We had already felt her impact when she was in town and concertgoers chose Chuku’s for their pre-gig meal, but this is a whole other level’ (Beyoncé to perform in Tottenham in May)
“We had already felt her impact when she was in town and concertgoers chose Chuku’s for their pre-gig meal, but this is a whole other level.”
Whether she believed the Cuff It singer had ever tasted their food, she said The times: ‘We never knew [if] everyone came for a takeaway or sneaked the food. I think it was about what we put in our application.’
Asked what difference the grant has made, he added: ‘It helps keep you energized. To receive this award, someone has to say, “We see you. We recognize your hard work.” This is one of those times where it’s a fantastic push forward.”
The superstar flaunted her toned physique in a sexy red outfit with coordinated elbow-length gloves and a flowing red fabric that stretched from the top of her head to each of her elbows.
The beauty donned a glamorous makeup palette, accessorized with long dangling silver earrings and completed the look with red tights and diamond-strap heels.
The Renaissance World Tour is the singer-songwriter’s ninth concert tour in support of her seventh studio album, Renaissance.
Red hot: It comes as Bey looked flawless as she took to the stage at her sold-out concert in Hamburg, Germany, on Wednesday
Wow: The superstar showed off her toned physique in a sexy red outfit with coordinated elbow-length gloves and a flowing red fabric that stretched from the top of her head to each of her elbows
Renaissance was one of the biggest summer albums last year after the pop icon released the disco-inspired collection of dance songs.
The concert series kicked off in May at the Friends Arena in Stockholm, Sweden.
A few weeks ago, while performing in Wales, Beyonce wowed her fans when she enlisted the help of her audience to release her 2011 song Love On Top, leading to a perfect rendition of the song, after which the music icon told the 75,000-strong crowd, “Give yourself a round of applause.”
During her performance, she played a range of her popular songs such as Formation, Run The World (Girls), Love On Top and a powerful mix of Dangerously In Love, Flaws And All and 1+1 that thrilled the audience. .